Authors : Sumita Acharya, Dharitri Patra, Saswati Pattanaik & Lopamudra Roy
Page Nos : 274- 282
Description :
Women are the back bone of agricultural work force (Population: 48.1 % women and 51.9 % men). In overall farm production, women's average contribution is estimated at 55 to 66 % of the total labour with percentages much higher in certain regions women do the most tedious and back-breaking jobs in agriculture, animal husbandry and home. After PRA survey, as per the need of the farm women the Home Scientists of KVKs have been assigned to mainstream the women in agriculture, identify the issues, provide suitable interventions, capacity building activities for them as well as in-service personnel, NGOs, rural youth, unemployed youth. Approximately 130 Nos of OFTs and 112 No. of FLDs on 2550 nos. of farm women on drudgery reduction of farmwomen were conducted in various KVKs over the period. Capacity building activities in using drudgery reducing technologies were conducted through 1520 trainings. The feedback is collected through direct interaction with the end users and taking their data on attributes like, perceived exertion, relative advantage, compatibility, simplicity, utility, cost effectiveness, applicability for further refinement and documentations. More than 25 drudgery reducing technologies/ implements were adopted in 485 Nos Villages in different blocks of 31 Districts by farm women in various pre-sowing, sowing, harvest and post-harvest processes. Around 15 heavy to moderately heavy activities are now become light to very light making them more convenient to perform. In relation to drudgery faced by farm women in different farm activities, based on opinion of farm women, maximum degrees of drudgery perceived by the respondent were in rice transplanting and harvesting followed by preparatory work during seedbed, weeding, sowing, irrigation, fertilizer application, pesticide dusting, carrying crops to threshing and grain carrying operations. In post-harvest operations, maximum drudgery oriented task as perceived by rural women was winnowing, plucking vegetables and during making of value added products. Thus, the severe pain they felt in elbow, shoulder, arms, wrist, back, legs have been done away with and those activities are carried out with very light to moderate pain. The reduction of drudgery resulted - reduced occupational health hazards, improved efficiency and enhanced output, which lead to better livelihood options and family food security.
