Abstract :
The crucial importance of women’s contribution to food security is widely recognized. Yet they faced with a number of constraints for participation in agriculture such as, there are discrimination in wages, low wages for women, gender based technology, training and extension services, women have limited access to modern technical viz., credit, training and to other facilities etc. (Rath et al., 2007). Therefore, women’s empowerment still become a matter of concern. Empowerment of women is a key to long term overall development of a nation. With the advancement of time, the fact has now been felt that without ensuring women development, the national development cannot be achieved. Thus a study was conducted in three agro-climatic zones of Assam to study “Impact of agricultural extension services on empowerment of farm women of Assam†with following objectives: to study the socio-economic status of farm women and to assess the impact of agricultural extension services on empowerment of farm women. A multistage purposive cum random sampling design was followed. Altogether 1,200 farm women were included as sample of respondents. Data were collected with the help of structured interview schedule 52.60 % of farm women belonged to low socio-economic status. Very negligible percentage of farm women (2.50%) were entitled to have land ownership. Only 0.17 per cent farm women possessed farm implements in their own name. Majority 57.42 per cent of farm women had milch animal of their own. Large majority of the farm women (92.83%) borrowed money from their group account in SHG with nominal interest. Large majority of farm women (81.75%) saved money in between Rs. 1000 to 5000. Majority (66.50%) of farm women spend their income on buying household items. A large majority (90.75%) of farm women had poor access to farm publication followed by educational film (80.33%) and news paper (76.08%). 54.50 per cent of the farm women got farm information regularly through various sources predominately from husband. Majority (65.92%) of farm women had low level of leadership ability. Farm women moved from their houses for social visit, attending bank, post office and block which were rank as I, II and III. Less than fifty per cent of farm women took independent decision in crop harvesting and transporting (33.75%) followed by as maintenance of house (35.25%) and buying food items for family consumption (34.17%). 48.91 per cent farm women had medium level of participation in decision making. It can be conclude that farm women were empowered to some extent due to availing agricultural extension services the status of farm as clientele of the agricultural extension service was not satisfactory.
Keyword :
Impact, Farm women, Empowerment