Role of women in driving rural economy

The image of a rural woman in our minds is often that of a weak figure in tethered clothes, holding her child in one arm and an earthen pot in the other. We are frequently hypnotized by the urban dream, considering anything rural to be underdeveloped, deprived, and savage. However, as you walk along the mighty greenery of the Western Ghats of India, you observe another picture that transcends conventional imagination. You find small patches of fields operated by women farmers—well-managed plots plowed with knowledge encompassing economic efficiency, environmental sustainability, and nutritional security. Then, as you want to grab a cup of tea, you find a woman managing a restaurant entirely by herself. These women are productive, steadfast, independent, and resilient. Their understanding of commercial markets and socioeconomic development is unparalleled. Moreover, as they work toward wealth generation, they understand the importance of social embeddedness, actively participating in community welfare and family wellbeing, making them exceptional team players with strong arms and a noble spirit.

Mind you, the back-breaking work on rice fields takes way more endurance than a deadlift in the gym!

The Feminization of Agriculture

According to the Economic Survey of 2017-18, a rise in the migration of men from rural to urban areas is leading to the feminization of agriculture, with the sector employing almost 80 percent of economically active women. Thus, as we advance along the development path, rural women have the potential to play a revolutionary role in economic prosperity and sustainable development.

Rural women perform diverse responsibilities, ranging from caring for family, maintaining households, attending to farm operations, managing agro-processing, tending domestic animals, engaging in rural artisan work and handicrafts, managing supply chains and financial investments, to building community participation through deliberate networking. They are also the custodians of indigenous and traditional knowledge, which forms the foundation of our communities’ livelihoods and cultural resilience. Unfortunately, much of this work goes underestimated due to methodological limitations in Gross Domestic Product calculations.

Bearers of Sustainability and Harmony

While the world has only recently awakened to the need for natural resource conservation and environmental harmony, rural women have championed this role from time immemorial. From managing well water to pursuing sustainable agricultural practices, rural women are bearers of sustainability and harmony.

Saalumarada Thimmakka, a Padma Shri Award Winner (2019), is an Indian environmentalist from Karnataka noted for planting and tending to 385 banyan trees along a four-kilometer stretch of highway between Hulikal and Kudur. While formal markets are yet to fully take cognizance of natural resource management as a formal job, rural women passionately pursue this work, understanding the long-term rationality and economic optimality of a healthy environment.

Another example is R. Pappammal from Coimbatore, awarded the Padma Shri for her achievements in organic farming. These soil managers are redefining how we understand rural women. It is increasingly recognized that women play pivotal roles in natural resource management through deep-rooted knowledge and close environmental collaboration, paving the way for sustainably developing water and forest resources.

Financial Management and Grassroots Leadership

Rural women are also increasingly becoming financial managers for their families through Self Help Groups (SHGs). As per a World Bank report, 67 million women are members of 6 million SHGs today. These groups assist them in engaging with collective finances, contingency funds, and building financial literacy. Women’s prowess in saving and investing for children's holistic growth is remarkable, prioritizing investments in nutrition, education, and family health. These SHGs have consistently enabled rural women and their families to finance entrepreneurial avenues.

In rural areas, women play a major role in decentralizing distribution channels and marketing government programs through community participation. Key impediments they face include a lack of market access, infrastructure, digital knowledge, business know-how, and modern market insights. To strengthen the ‘Make in India’ vision, empowering women from the grassroots will give a vital boost to rural industries and micro-entrepreneurship in village clusters, making job creation a long-term, sustainable solution.

At the Heart of Agricultural Production

Rural women are at the heart of the production system. According to Oxfam India, women are responsible for about 60-80 percent of food production and 90 percent of dairy production. With women predominant at all levels—production, pre-harvest, post-harvest processing, packaging, and marketing—adopting gender-specific interventions is imperative to increase agricultural productivity.

The nation must promote opportunities for women to secure equal claims over seed capital to start businesses, particularly in the food industry, where women’s dexterity in food supply and nutritional security is unparalleled. Start-ups like FarmDidi play a crucial role by creating a congenial ecosystem that provides women with market access, digital technology, and business knowledge.

Conclusion

Women’s role in accomplishing Sustainable Development Goals is pivotal. They drive agricultural and rural economic growth and enhance food security. Rural women understand the true significance of wealth generation paired with sustainable socioeconomic development. They are active agents of health, wealth, finance, and sustainability. Supporting them in becoming job creators rather than job seekers is essential, because when one woman is empowered, the whole family is empowered.

Check out our homemade pickles crafted by rural women entrepreneurs at the Farmdidi store.

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