Agricultural wage work, seasonal migration and the widening gender gap: evidence from a semi-arid region of Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

In India, there are large gender disparities in ownership of agricultural land and the state's poverty alleviation programmes mainly target landless male labourers. Given these conditions, agricultural wage work was the only avenue through which poor rural women could expect to become financially independent and combat iniquitous social norms. This development paradigm was the guiding force behind the feminization of agricultural wage work in India. This study investigates the linkages between female work and empowerment implicit to the process of feminization for the semi-arid regions of Andhra Pradesh. We find that women here are heavily involved in agricultural wage work mainly because better paying work like self-employment and seasonal migration are beyond the reach of most women. As a result women's wages, working conditions and relative power within the household remain acutely depressed. Furthermore, evidence suggests that income from seasonal migration is causing the wealth gap between men and women to widen. Policies with a clearer focus on improving women's off-farm opportunities and those that challenge patriarchal control over productive assets are required.