Institutionalising Women's Collective Action as Skilled Agricultural Labour Force — A Case from the Rice Sector

The present study on gender dimensions in the rice sector conducted in selected districts of four states, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Karnataka, has revealed the functioning of several female agricultural labour contractors and female labour groups in providing labour for paddy cultivation. In the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, a group of women has been providing contractual labour for transplanting, weeding and harvesting for several years and the wages are equally distributed among the members. Assured employment for thirty assured labour days in rice cultivation with average earnings of 6000/- per member has been recorded. In Karnataka, a women group has been providing labour for the past ten years to a research farm, with new members added every year. In the Erode district of Tamil Nadu, a group of women labour has been operational for the past fifteen years and is keeping pace with changing times, the group leader is contacted over mobile phone by the farmers. Most of these women groups work on contractual basis and the employer-farmers prefer them as it ensures timely and assured supply of labour for farm-operations. Therefore, institutionalising the collective action of women labour as skilled agricultural labour force by training them on setting up group norms, negotiation skills and new methods of rice cultivation could be explored as a farmer-institution partnership. The group labour system is thus beneficial to farmers and women as well as group providing skilled labour force.