Rural non-farm diversification, agricultural feminisation and women’s autonomy in the farm: evidence from India

This study contributes to the literature on the interlinkage between household nonfarm diversification (HND), agricultural feminisation and female autonomy in farming. The study uses unit-level data from the Indian Human Development Survey for the years 2004 - 2005 and 2011 - 2012. The paper employs instrumental variable regression methods to study such interlinkages. The results show HND to be a significant factor contributing to the feminisation of agriculture. The study finds some evidence that the phenomenon is distress driven. Further, greater participation of women in agriculture, as well as women’s access to land rights, significantly contributes to female autonomy in farm decision-making. The results are robust to the use of alternative indicators of agricultural feminisation