Women in growth of horticulture - Contributions and issues

Women farmers are one of the major stakeholders of Horticulture sector and play a predominant role in various on-farm and off-farm activities. they have been pivotal in the growth of this sector, contributing far beyond their male counterparts by performing operations which are time consuming, labour intensive and monotonous, often regarded as ‘unskilled activities’. the magnitude of their participation is hardly visualized, which creates perceptible gender gap. Constituting the enormous support system to the sector, it is pertinent to tap their full potential by acknowledging their strengths, working upon their weaknesses, providing them with ample opportunities and mitigating their threats. their abilities are often curtailed by several socio-economic constraints and issues which forbid them from the status of a ‘farmer’ rather they have been labelled as mere agricultural workers. Closing the gender gap in horticulture by developing gender friendly technologies and extending these technologies through gender-sensitive extension approaches with women friendly schemes & policies can play a vital role in promoting gender equity in horticulture. With the increasing trend of feminization in agriculture, it is crucial to empower them with advanced horticultural technologies aiming at improving their skill and reducing the drudgery for promoting sustainable livelihood enhancement and nutritional fortification along with witnessing the holistic development of the sector.