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@article{184402,
        author = {DD Sharma and Supriya Srivastava},
        title = {Empowering the Silent Backbone: A Review of Rural Women’s Participation and Decision-Making in Indian Agriculture},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {4},
        pages = {1682-1686},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=184402},
        abstract = {This review critically examines the unappreciated role of rural women in India’s agricultural sector, emphasizing their involvement in household management and community development particularly in decision-making. Drawing from a wide range of empirical studies and policy reports, it underscores their diverse contribution i.e. from sowing, livestock care, and post-harvest processing to market activities. Despite their pivotal role in all stages of farming, women’s labour is largely unpaid, undocumented and undervalued reinforcing gender inequalities in access to land, training, credit and institutional support. A key focus of the review is the limited decision-making power rural women hold, especially in areas such as land ownership, resource allocation and technology adoption. Social barriers like patriarchal norms, illiteracy and lack of awareness continue to suppress their agency. The burden of balancing domestic duties with agricultural labour further affects their physical and emotional well-being. Government programs like the Mahila Kisan Sahakian Pariyojana (MKSP) aim to build women’s capacities, but structural barriers such as insufficient training, weak extension systems, and inadequate institutional representation still persist. The review concludes that real empowerment of rural women requires gender-sensitive policies, better access to healthcare and education, and accurate representation in agricultural statistics. Without this, sustainable rural development and food security will remain elusive},
        keywords = {},
        month = {September},
        }