Women and agricultural livelihood in hills of Assam

Abstract

Women are the integral part of society and their contribution to agriculture sector is worth mentioning. But they remain as an invisible worker. The present study emphasizes on the role of women in hill agriculture in Assam. The study is qualitative in nature and data is collected based on some open-ended questions. Results reveal that women actively participate in all the stages of jhum cultivation right from decision making to labour intensive work. They also practiced livestock rearing, horticulture etc., to earn extra income. However, it is found that the jhum cultivation in Assam is subsistence in nature with minimal profit which is insufficient to sustain their livelihood. Hence, there is an urgent need for development of the agriculture sector in hills of Assam. In this regard, proper governments initiative can empower women more in agriculture sector as they participate actively and have sufficient traditional knowledge of jhum cultivation.