Contribution of Farm Women in Household Income: Evidence from Western Uttar Pradesh

The main objective of paper is to present the findings about the female workers’ contribution in family income for two districts (Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat) of rural Western Uttar Pradesh. The study is based on primary data collected through a survey of 240 farm households. The study pertained to the agricultural year 2007–08. The study reveals that the average per household income from all sources contributed significantly in Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat district which was Rs. 236610 and Rs. 257933 respectively to household income in Western Uttar Pradesh, out of this women's share in household income in Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat districts is 46412 and 57427 respectively. Yet they lack education, health and support services and frequently do not have access of economic resources. The proportionate contribution of females declined with increasing farm size while vice versa is true for absolute income. The strategies adopted by the Government to increase women's welfare during the past decades have not yielded adequate results. The study suggests the need to remove the bottlenecks through a well-planned strategy suited to their socio-cultural milieu.