Agripreneurship for Employment and Empowerment of Women in Rural Areas

Traditionally women in agriculture are confined to activities mainly Weeders, Preparation of agriculture fields, Application of green & farmyard manure, Crop management, Planting, Harvesting and Post-harvest operations. Onset of liberalisation opened avenues for women's participation in agricultural labour force giving rise to Feminization of Agriculture and increase in rural female work participation rate. Consequent impact has been the creation of women entrepreneurs known as WOMEN AGRI- ENTREPRENEURS. Today they comprise about 10 percent of total entrepreneurs in India and 51% in Forest-based small-scale enterprises playing a key role to transform rural livelihoods. They also face many challenges like mushrooming multinational companies, patriarchy, illiteracy, dependency on male members, economically not self-dependent, dependency on intermediaries, marketing, sales and non cooperation of financial institutions. This book provides a platform for women entrepreneurs to share their experiences, discern role of technology in promoting employment & empowerment and debate on initiatives made by government in promoting Agripreneurship in women.