Development Goals with Special Reference to Women in Agriculture in Sri Lanka and India

Abstract

The present paper highlights the development goals with special reference to women in Agriculture in India and island country Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, Gender role difference in paddy cultivation are perceptible in the routine by women of time-consuming and labour-intensive household tasks, while men do the ploughing, sowing, threshing, and transporting of goods to market. Women engage in 30% of all the tasks. In dry land farming, about 65% of tasks are done by women. All traditional farm women are engaged in processing and preparing food and in other domestic and child-rearing chores. The involvement of women in agricultural production has increased over time as waged labourers, unpaid family workers, and workers exchanging labour for goods and services. The extent of women in waged labour is related to a family's wealth, land supply, and family status. Women generally receive 10-20% less in wages for the same work as men. Women's role is affected by the crop seasons. During slack seasons, women are able to spend more time on home-based activities. The total annual hours spent on work by women is about 32% greater than for men. Women have many more roles than men. Substitution for women's work is largely fulfilled by children. Almost 173 wives out of the 200 study families identified their priority as the well-being of the family. Village social organizational roles are largely fulfilled by men. In contrast to other prior research, couples both decide on the division of the day's work and shop and visit together. Men sell excess agricultural products and give the cash to wives. Credit and insurance matters are handled by men. Only 3% of women had opportunities for further training. The prospects for development of agro-based cottage industries for women are greater in dry zones. "Gender role differences can be reduced by removing the social stigma of domestic work" and increasing women's free time. The main land India is an Agrarian based country almost 70 percent of farmers and farm women engaged in agriculture and other farm activities. The paper also emphasis on similar farm women engaged in similar activities in India.