A latest edition of State of India’s Livelihoods (SOIL) Report, the flagship Report by ACCESS Development Services, highlights the potential of 'women-led development' and advocates the need to enable women to become active contributors to the economy.
Women’s economic empowerment (WEE) is both an ethical necessity and a practical solution for inclusive development. This is the overarching philosophy behind the latest State of India Livelihoods Report, recently released by ACCESS Development Services in New Delhi, focusing on the theme “Women’s Economic Empowerment in India: Salience, Momentum and Action”
Taking off from its previous editions, which covered issues like women’s farmer producer groups and women in the informal sector, the latest report aims to bring together fresh perspectives and energy to the topic. The latest report brings in newer themes such as gender norms and WEE, unpaid care work and gender, agriculture and climate, among others.
In an encouraging development, the report points out, the discourse in India is shifting to place women’s economic empowerment within the framework of ‘women-led development’, a concept introduced by India during its G20 presidency. The strategy aims to remove systemic barriers and create pathways for women to drive national growth, enabling them to participate as active contributors to the economy rather than viewing them as passive beneficiaries.
“Initiatives that provide them with access to finance, skills training, and leadership opportunities are drivers of this new vision,” the report emphasises.
While agriculture remains a major employer of women in rural India, economists have noted a “feminisation of agriculture with more women taking on different occupations, such as farming, owning businesses, and labour in rural India” over the last two decades.
According to a study by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), women perform 75 percent of the work in primary crop production, 79 percent in horticulture, 51 percent in post- harvest work and 95 percent in animal husbandry and fisheries. However, the report notes that women farmers have significantly less access to, control over, and ownership of land and other productive assets compared to their male counterparts.
This is true globally. Less than 15 percent of agricultural landholders globally are women, though the figures vary across countries. Women farmers have significantly less access to land, credit, training, and other productive resources compared to men.
Closing the gender gap in farm productivity and the wage gap in agrifood-system employment could increase global GDP by one percent – that’s nearly $1 trillion
it states.
Climate change is another challenge faced by women farmers. With land, forest and water resources being increasingly compromised, local communities and indigenous people, particularly women, whose livelihoods depend on them, are marginalised and displaced. Moreover, in the face of climate-related shocks and detrimental health effects of indoor and urban pollution, women often bear the brunt of coping with caring for people and the planet.
Building systems that are sensitive to the needs of women farmers can foster greater adoption of sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices. There is also a lack of knowledge of the gendered experience of climate change.
In one of the chapters, Gaurav Chiplunkar and Penny Goldman highlight the historical predominance of women entrepreneurship in India. According to them, high rates of entrepreneurship are often observed among women in lower-and middle-income countries where decent job options are scarce, underscoring the important linkages between employment and entrepreneurship. In India, they note, starting businesses is not a challenge, scaling it up is. Women are also known to hire other women as their businesses grow.
Gender norms often restrict women’s participation in decision-making processes related to agriculture. Vedavati Patwardhan, another author, argues that women’s agency is an indispensable element in designing impactful policies.
Women’s work continues to be undercounted in many sectors, such as agriculture and household enterprises. The measurement of women’s work is especially challenging in economies characterised by a large informal economy, including seasonal (agricultural) employment.
On a positive note, India has achieved significant progress in poverty alleviation through inclusive goal-oriented policies. Between 2013-14 and 2022-23, multidimensional poverty reduced from 29.17 percent to 11.28 percent, lifting 24.82 crore people above the poverty line. This progress aligns with the “Viksit Bharat” vision of India becoming a developed country by 2047.
The report talks about key government initiatives that prioritise women’s economic inclusion by providing financial resources, skills training, and livelihood support. For instance, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) ensures 100 days of wage employment, with gender-sensitive provisions such as 33 percent female participation, wage parity, childcare, and travel allowances.
The National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NLRM) facilitates rural households’ access to self-help groups (majority of which are composed of women) and local networks, and provides skills training, financial literacy, and infrastructure for livelihood support. The MUDRA Scheme offers collateral-free, low-interest loans to women entrepreneurs, improving access to credit for small businesses.
It highlights the critical role philanthropy can play in accelerating progress in women’s economic empowerment. “By engaging diverse stakeholders – governments, grassroots organisations, local communities and the private sector – philanthropy can pool resources, knowledge and networks to amplify its impact and foster sustainable change,” the report says.
Ultimately, women’s economic empowerment can lay the foundation for sustainable and equitable development in India.
The lead image shows women taking on different roles in rural India, including farming, owning businesses and labour. (Photo by Milan Barad)
