Seasonal migration and feminization of farm management: Evidence from India

Abstract

Using gender-disaggregated data on land operations from India, this paper contributes to the literature on agricultural feminization by showing a relationship between seasonal or short-term migration for work and feminization of farm management. Using a nationally representative data-set covering 35,604 rural Indian households in 2013, we identify if women are taking on the role of farm managers in households with short-term migrants. Our results show that women are less likely than men to be decision makers on farms, but this dynamic changes when there is short-term migration in the household; the probability of women being decision makers on farms increases. These results are robust to concerns over omitted variables, endogeneity and sample selection issues. Our study highlights the importance of unpacking the feminization process to better understand the role of women as farm managers and the need for supporting this transition to ensure women farmers realise their full potential.