women farmers position aggervating feminisation of poverty

Thamizhachi  Thangapandiann the author of the article,  “don’t ignore women farmers,”(4.1.21 published in The Hindu )  has highlighted the effects of the three farm laws on agriculture sector  .  It is a fact that, most of the rural women in India are engaged in the agricultural sector as a laboures or owners. But Gender injustice prevails in the agricultural sector due to less number of women land owners i.e., (12. 8%) and hence, majority of them are not entitled for institutional support given by the government to the farm sector as the author says.   More over, women laborers are categorized as “marginal workers” and paid lesser than their male counterparts due to the availability only 187 days of work in a year to them and thus affected by wage discrimination too. It is also expected that even the existing women marginal land owners would be forced to sell their lands unable to face the pressures of new situation expected after the corporitation of the agricultural sector that would be the outcome of the new laws. All these factors would aggravate “feminization” of poverty in the rural areas and force them o to migrate to nearby cities.  Hence, we understand their fears about future which drives them to participate in the farmer’s protests. It is to be noticed that India figures among 20 countries in the world where the gender gap is the widest. According to the report of the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index 2019-2020 India holds 112^th rank index in the gender inequality index. These new farm laws would further worsen the gender equity position of India