Study on Work Pattern and Drudgery Experience of Hill Farm Women of Himachal

Sixty farm women performing farm and allied activities regularly were selected from three blocks from district Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Work pattern and drudgery experienced by the farm women was assessed by personal interview method through a developed and pre-tested questionnaire. More than 50 per cent of the respondents had more than 20 years of experience in agriculture and livestock for which they spent an average time of 2–4 hours per day in these activities. Data on perceived exertion by the women highlighted that agricultural activities were experienced as moderately heavy to heavy types in exertion while activities in horticulture, livestock and poultry segments were observed as light to moderately heavy in exertion range. For Overall Discomfort Rating (ODR), studied by VAD scale, farm women experienced moderate to severe discomfort in agriculture activities. While doing activities of ploughing, harvesting and threshing, the women rated severe discomfort, while moderate uneasiness was felt for rest of the farm operations. Involvement in horticulture, dairy activities and household chores shared moderate and mild discomfort in their performance.