Dynamic Participation of Rural Women in Dairy Farming: A Comparative Study of Two Blocks in Hisar District, Haryana, India

Abstract

This study examined the dynamic participation of rural women in dairy farming in two blocks of the Hisar district of Haryana: Hisar-I and Hisar-II. A structured interview schedule was used to collect data from 120 dairy farming households (60 households per block). Thirty dairy operations were organized into six categories: feeding and watering, livestock management, health care, breeding and reproductive management, market-related activities and processing, and financial and institutional engagement. Women's participation was scored on a three-point scale (women alone = 2, jointly = 1, men alone = 0), and the results were summarized using weighted mean scores. The study found that women were most involved in livestock management with weighted mean scores of 1.47 in Hisar- I block and 1.46 in Hisar-II block, followed by feeding and watering with weighted mean scores of 1.17 and 1.18, respectively. Whereas financial and institutional involvement had the lowest engagement with weighted mean scores of 0.43 and 0.44, respectively. Men were responsible for the majority of technical operations, including artificial insemination and veterinary medicine purchases. The overall mean participation score of 0.91 for both blocks demonstrates women's substantial involvement in routine and management duties, but a lack of presence in technical, financial, and market-related decision-making. The findings highlight the importance of targeted capacity-building programs, improved loan availability, and increased institutional involvement in boosting women's empowerment and productivity in the dairy sector.