Agricultural and backyard farming: A tool for rural women empowerment and poverty reduction

Poverty is widespread in developing countries and more prevalent in rural areas. Indeed, most of the poor in developing countries live in rural areas with agriculture being the centre of their lives. Women play important roles as producers of the food, managers of the natural resources, income earner and caretaker of household. Women are now coming out of their seclusion and are assuming greater responsibilities in national reconstruction activities. They constitute nearly fifty% of our population. Most of the women are unskilled but it has been observed that rural women contribute more than men in agriculture as well as in poultry sector. Empowerment implies intellectual enlightenment, economic enrichment and social emancipation of women. The core strength of empowerment lies in the ability of a woman to control her own destiny. An empowered, woman must have equal opportunities, equal capabilities and equal access to resources. Furthermore, she should be enabled to use those rights, capabilities, resources and opportunities to make strategic choices and decisions in her life. The concept of women empowerment is associated with gender equality. In India research conducted indicates that sex ratio is grossly un-favourable for females. Wide disparity exists between male and female literacy rates. Employment and work participation rates are also poor for women. Researches also indicate that this discrimination against females is borne out of cultural and religious values that spring from the patriarchal ethos dominant in most parts of our country. In the food security the rural women over the world play a major role in agricultural production and development but women face a number of constraints in approaching agricultural extension sources especially in developing countries. Rural women along with men play an important role in the agriculture sector like crop production, livestock as well as poultry especially backyard poultry production. Importance of backyard poultry has been globally recognized to overcome the worsening problems of poverty, hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. Backyard poultry farming in Jammu region can provide an excellent opportunity for gainful employment to rural women. The present study was focused on the role of women in agricultural sector including poultry farming and their constraints, which were being faced by our rural women of Jammu region.