Women’s Work in Livestock Raising: Evidence from Time Use Surveys in India

[Co-author: Madhura Swaminathan]

Women’s contribution to livestock raising, in terms of both work participation and hours of work, is underestimated in India as elsewhere in the world. This is primarily because of limitations of data available in labour force surveys, many of which can be addressed by time use surveys (TUSs). This paper, first, explores data from a small TUS conducted in two villages of Karnataka. Insights from our ground-level study are tested econometrically by applying a two-way Heckman model to unit data from India’s first national TUS, 2019. We estimated that 11 per cent of rural women participated in livestock raising and spent an average of 16 h a week. Age and education were significant factors: younger and educated women were less likely to engage in livestock raising, an observation linked to current technology and drudgery of work. Women’s participation was higher in peasant households from privileged social groups than in poorer wage worker households.