Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension,

Economics & Sociology

15(2): 1-11, 2017; Article no.AJAEES.31453
ISSN: 2320-7027

SCIENCEDOMAIN international
www.sciencedomain.org

Women Empowerment – A Comparative Case Study

among Agricultural and Coir Industry Wage
Labourers
Porismita Boruah1, Bikram Borkotoki2*, Prodip Handique3, Jyotshna Das3,
Bhupen Kr. Daflari3, Buddha Bora3 and Arifa M. Begum4
1
Department of Sociology, Tezpur University, Napaam, Tezpur-784028, Assam, India.
2
RARS, AAU, North Lakhimpur, Lakhimpur-787032, Assam, India.
3
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, AAU, Lakhimpur-787032, Assam, India.
4
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, AAU, Sonitpur-784028, Assam, India.

Authors’ contributions

This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Author PB was the lead researcher. She
designed the study, wrote the protocol and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Authors Bikram
Borkotoki and PH managed the critical analyses of the study. Authors JD and BKD managed the
literature searches. Authors Buddha Bora and AMB helped in the field survey and data collection. All
authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Article Information

DOI: 10.9734/AJAEES/2017/31453
Editor(s):
(1) Golubkina Nadezhda Alexandrovna, Agrochemical Research Center, All-Russian Institute of Vegetable Breeding and Seeds
Production, Moscow Region, Russia.
(2) Jurislav Babic, Faculty of Food technology, University of Osijek, Croatia.
Reviewers:
(1) Surendra Singh Bargali, Kumaun University, Nainital, India.
(2) Sani Yakubu Gombe, Vocational Education, Federal College of Education (Tech.), Gombe, Nigeria.
(3) Ibrahim, University Muhammadiyah of Mataram, Indonesia.
Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/18098

th
Received 6 January 2017
Original Research Article Accepted 23rd February 2017
Published 9th March 2017

ABSTRACT

A comparative study was conducted among randomly selected Agricultural and Coir Industry
women wage Labourers of Sonitpur district, Assam, India during 2012-13 to find out whether more
economic empowerment of women is able to change the status of women in society or still customs
and values play a role to assign status of a person thorough field survey and questioner methods. It
was found that the agricultural wage labourers had more children than that of the coir industry
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

*Corresponding author: E-mail: biikram@gmail.com;

 Boruah et al.; AJAEES, 15(2): 1-11, 2017; Article no.AJAEES.31453

wage labourers. It was because of preference for male child and lesser control over choices.
Though they didn’t want to have another child, the preference and inability to take the decisions
along with their husbands led to more children. The decision making authority was solely with the
male partners. Whereas, the coir industry wage labourers had some power with their husbands to
take decisions like family planning. Those decisions had an impact on the family income and
expenditure. The family income of the coir industry wage labourers were higher than that of the
agricultural wage labourers and having lesser children had positive impact on the children’s
education and nutritional supply in the families. The coir industry wage labourers were
comparatively more educated than the agricultural wage labourers. This also helped them to go for
family planning. With extra income, the coir industry labourers were able to spend more in nutritious
food, education for children and the expenses on the alcoholic items were cut down as came up in
the study vis-a-vis the agricultural wage labours. The agricultural wage labourers were new in the
field of savings. Very recently they had started savings and they didn’t have any bank deposits
rather they saved very small amounts with Self Help Groups (SHG). The coir industry wage
labourers also had savings with SHGs and very few had deposits in banks. However, the concept
of saving was new to them. The household items of the agricultural labourers’ house didn’t include
electricity, but most of them had mobile phones. Nevertheless, the coir industry labourers were well
equipped with household items necessary for better sustenance. Economic self-sufficiency and
education, use of technology, exposure to the outer world, decision making etc. determined the
amount of empowerment. The agricultural labourers were comparatively lacking in empowerment
than the coir industry labourers in Tezpur sub-division of Sonitpur district of Assam, India.

Keywords: Wage labourers; agricultural; coir industry; empowerment.

1. INTRODUCTION and never been a commercial venture. However,

under influence of industrialization and
In rural India, the source of livelihood is still modernization, it started to shape commercially.
predominantly dependent on agriculture. According to Population Census 2011, the
Livelihood occupations in which rural women are proportion of women worker in the total
involved include traditional production system agricultural worker is 42.67%. that is the number
and commercial agricultural work including agro of total agricultural labourers 14,43,29,833,
based small scale industries where women are among them 8,27,40,351 male workers and
engaged as wage labourers [1,2,3,4]. With time, 6,15,89,482 are female agricultural workers [5].
the idea of agriculture seems to be changing When we talk about working women we mean
gradually with the use of machineries and better only when she gainfully employed [6].
scientific innovations and bringing possibilities to
give it a shape of modern industry in states like The role of women in the production system is
Punjab and Haryana. less acknowledged in male dominated society
and they hardly been included in the decision
In Assam, the scenario is little different. Here, still making process of the family and production
farmers are lagging in farm mechanization due to system [7]. Nevertheless, the tendency has
fragmented land holding, subsistence farming, changed in recent decades. Women start earning
and dominance of poor and marginal farmers in livelihood of their own. Empowerment of women
the farming community. There is no big city can be best thought of through agriculture and
except Guwahati and the city culture is not yet related aspects. They can be made more
come with its fullest. Most of the places in Assam productive if appropriate technologies and
followed a rural and semi urban picture with lots transferred to their use. And that need not to be
of emphasis on agriculture. The total number of very technical and expensive but to be scientific
agricultural labourers in Assam is 18,45,346 [8].
numbers according to the 2011 census data and
the percentage of agricultural labourers to total The household processed foods, poultry farming,
workers is increased from 13.2 in 2001 to 15.4 in weaving even the traditional agricultural process
2011 [5]. Women in Assam, since time (as a wage labourers) bring economic
immemorial engaged in agricultural work, poultry empowerment to the women. The type of
farming, weaving and processing or value agricultural activities generally expected of
addition of food. It had been in subsistence basis women is highly labour intensive and the rural

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women generally do not enjoy the benefits of The study was conducted in Tezpur sub-division
new technologies [6]. of Sonitpur District of Assam among the women
engaged in the agriculture and allied sector. The
In general, the improvement of technologies agricultural wage labourers (N=20) are selected
and industrialization bring about tremendous from Napaam village and the coir industry wage
changes in the socio-economic structure of the labourers (N=10) are selected from the two
society. The Government has also initiated nearby coir industries under Tezpur sub-division
programmes for women empowerment. The following purposive random sampling technique
emergence of Self Help Groups and small scale with 7 variables viz. level of education, size of
industries give new dimensions to the earning house hold, income of house hold, pattern of
women. Apart from that, women from lower class family expenditure, saving pattern, household
engaged in the production system as wage gadget owned and magnitude of autonomy in
labourer be it in the industrial sector or in decision making.
agriculture.
2.2 Details of the Study Area
The aim of this study is to see whether mere
economic empowerment of women is able to 2.2.1 Details of farming community and
change the status of women or still the social agricultural wage labourers
customs and values play a role to assign status
of a person. What is the role of earning women in The Napaam Village is situated 12 kilometres far
a family, does it differ from work to work, and from the Tezpur Town where almost 120 women
does it really contribute to the empowerment of workers are engaged as agricultural wage
women? labourers covering adivasi community of both
Hindu and Christians. The village is a mix
1.1 Objectives community village with communities like Bengali
speaking Muslims; Assamese, Nepalis, Biharies
The main objectives of the study are– belonging to Hindu and Adivasies. These
communities of the village intermix among
1. To study the socio-economic status of themselves in social occasions like marriage
women of the study area. functions though they maintain some restriction
2. To examine the role of education and in intermixing in religious and family affairs.
scientific technology in the process of Though women were engaged in their own farm
empowering women. land, but generally not allowed to work as
3. To study the link between economic self agricultural wage labourers except the women
sufficiency and empowerment of women. from Adivasi community. This restriction is more
common amongst muslims though maximum
2. METHODOLOGY numbers of male agricultural wage labourers are
from the Bengali speaking Muslim community.
2.1 Area of Study The agricultural works, generally performed by
the women in other places of Assam like,
Sonitpur District is situated in the North Bank planting and transplanting, winnowing are also
Plain Zone of Assam. The district was created in performed by the male members of the
the year 1983. District headquarter is located at community. More strikingly, even for these job to
Tezpur. As of 2011, it is the third most populous these labourers are paid higher than women.
district of Assam with the population 1925975,
after Nagaon and Dhubri district. Undivided Non Adivasi women also work outside their
Sonitpur district had an area of 5280.58 Sq.km. home. Some of them are working as household
It was divided into three sub-divisions, 14 helper especially women from Muslim
blocks, 158 Gaon-Panchayats and 1876 community. Nepali women used to make dairy
villages. In Sonitpur 91.11% population are products and Bihari women work in their paddy
reside in rural areas which is figured 1754835 fields and sugarcane fields. The women form
peoples. Sex ratio is 946, literacy rate is Assamese communities are relatively better in
69.96%. In Tezpur sub division Population is education and family background. Most of them
58016. However, in 2015 the sub division are housewives or engaged in service sector. But
Biswanath Chariali has been converted to the they never worked as agricultural wage
head quarter of the newly created district viz. labourers. The reason behind the role of women
Biswanath. in the village varies community to community is

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may be due to the economical background and for machine purchase. The industry owned by
more or less religious and social customs. The Juri Boniya, one of the first batch trainee of the
Adivasi women who worked as agricultural wage training on making of coir products organized by
labourers belong to a very poor economic Sonitpur Social Development Organisation, in
background. They have been engaged as Da-Porbotia Sonari gaon, providing employment
agricultural wage labourers to fulfil their basic to five women. They produce coir yarn from the
needs of day to day living. They are traditionally coir collected from a local supplier. These five
engaged in this occupation for generations. But women were engaged in daily wage basis.
they are unaware of the drastic technological
changes that are coming up in agricultural sector 2.3.2 Mitali coir industry
and they still practices the traditional ways of
agriculture. Mitali coir Industry, owned by Ms. Anju Boishya
and run by Ms. Minu Boishya was also
2.3 Back Ground of Coir Industry and Its established with the help of IIE, Guwahati with
Wage Labours 40% subsidy for purchasing machineries. Both
Anju and Minu were also trained by Sonitpur
In the year 2005, Indian Institute of Social Development Organisation. Mitali coir
Entrepreneurship in collaboration with Indian Coir Industry was situated in the Ketekibari, Tezpur
Board organized a 5 days training programme on where 6 women were employed. The industry
Entrepreneur Development Programme on coir produced coir yarns, coir mattresses and coir pith
products financed by the Indian Coir Board mostly sold in the local market.
covering 76 participants in Tezpur, Assam.
Later on, two trained beneficiaries viz. Mrs Amrit 2.4 Techniques of Data Collection
Madhuri Devi and Mr Kishor Debnath were
selected from Tezpur for further advanced The data has been collected through both
training on coir products in IIE, Guwahati for 15 primary and secondary sources. Primary data
days & in Coir board, Kerela for one month in was collected from a field study with Purposive
November and December-2006, respectively. sampling by interviewing and observation
After coming back from Kerala, Amrit Madhuri methods. The secondary data collected from
Devi, with the help of District Agriculture Office, sources like books, journals, official documents
Sonitpur started awareness programmes on and news papers. However, mostly primary data
coconut cultivation in Sonitpur, Assam. In 2007 collected from field survery, 2013 is being tried to
she joined a NGO viz. Udayan and prepared a analyse in this research paper. A total of 30
list of farmers for coconut cultivation to distribute respondents were selected covering 10 as coir
coconut seedlings with the help of Coconut industry labourers and 20 as agricultural
Development Board, Guwahati. But due to less labourers. Interviews and discussion were made
cooperation she left Udayan and joined Sonitpur with the Secretary of Sonitpur Social
Social Development Organization in the year Development Organization, Owners of two Coir
2008.In these awareness programmes, Mrs Industries, ASHA workers, Anganvadi Workers,
Amrit Madhuri Devi, noticed poor participation of Scientists and other staffs of the Krishi Vigyan
women. Subsequently she slowly shifted her Kendra, Sonitpur.
target to women and organised several training
programmes for women on different coir 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
products through Sonitpur Social Development
Organization for entrepreneurship development. The comparative family economic status of
These trainings were conducted by the faculties studied agricultural wage and coir industry wage
from Kerala and Orissa. After the trainings, 13 labourers is presented in Table 1.
trainees applied for industrial loan, however, only
two Coir industries were came up in Tezpur. The data reveals that maximum household
These two industries are ‘Ramdhenu Coir income came under the group Rs 40,000-80,000
Industry’ and ‘Mitali Coir Industry. per annum for both the groups. However, the
mean income of the agricultural wage labourer
2.3.1 Ramdhenu coir industry family was Rs 51200, while the same was Rs.
79400 per annum for coir industry wage
Ramdhenu Coir Industry was established in the labourers. When respondents were asked about
year 2008 with the help of Indian Institute of the reason that drive them to opt for the
Entrepreneurship, Guwahati with 40% subsidy occupation, the common answer was to meet the

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day to day expenditure of the family in case of and maximum up to 6. Conversely, among the
agricultural wage labourers. Agricultural coir industry labourers the average number of
labourers denied the choices to opt for other children was only 2. Although, preference over a
occupation as they were unskilled. On the other male child was predominant amongst all
hand, the coir industry labourers informed that respondents belonging both the groups might be
they opt the occupation to meet the increasing due to common social notion of superiority of
family expenditure and they had a choice to male over female. A girl is considered a burden
continue with the same or change to some by parents. Since a girl child would be going to
other occupation as they were educated and her husband’s place upon marriage, the parents
trained. The accessibility to the choices of did not want to waste their resources on her
occupation was distinctly seen amongst the coir upbringing. Again the demand for large dowry
industry labourers, which give them some kind of and the huge wedding expenses caused a lot of
freedom to think for entrepreneurship hardship to the parents. So, the parents
development. But the only hindrance was source preferred a male child [10]. On the other hand
of funding. The reason behind this freedom and the other group was happy with their 2 to 3
choice had an impact on the size of the children. Almost all of them adopted different
household. The number of the household types of birth control measures of their choice.
members has an impact on the financial position Agricultural labourers also revealed that as
of the household [9]. they had more members in the family and
the income was less so they must be engaged
Table 1. Income of the household in laborious job sometimes might be against
their will. So, it was quite clear that with lesser
Income (Rs) Agricultural Coir Industry income and greater no of children women were
wage labour labour forced to work for subsistence. She was denied
(n=20) (n=10) for her freedom to choose her own way of
Upto 40000.00 10% 0% life. John Caldwell's wealth flows theory
proposes a direct link between family structure
40000.00- 80% 60%
80000.00 and fertility [9]. The theory proposes that fertility
decisions in all societies are economically
80000.00 and 10% 40%
rational responses to familial wealth flows. In
above
societies with net upward wealth flows, the
Mean annual 51200.00 79400.00 economically rational decision is to have as
income (Rs.) many surviving children as possible (within the
Source: Field Survey, 2013
constraints imposed by biology), because each
Size of the household of the studied groups is additional child adds positively to a parent's
presented in Table 2. wealth, security in old age, and social and
political well-being. In societies with net
Table 2. Size of the household downward wealth flows, the economically rational
decision is to have no children or the minimum
Agricultural Coir number allowed by a psychological disposition
wage labour industry that derives pleasure from children and
labour parenting. The worldwide transition from high to
low fertility is the result of a change in family
No of household 20 10
structures from upward to downward wealth
Male 55 25 flows [11]. The theory is more or less applicable
Female 61 28 in this field scenario too.
Total 116 53
Average 5.8 5.3 The amount of literacy also had an impact on the
household size accessibility of the ‘agency’ and the ‘resources’.
Source: Field Survey, 2013 The Table 3 shows the level of education of the
respondents.
Perusal of data from Table 2 reveals that Size of
the household had an impact on the household Perusal of data from Table 3 reveals that the
income. The average size of the household literacy rate of respondents of both the groups
among the agricultural wage labourers was 5.8 revealed a significant difference. The coir
and most of them stayed in nuclear family. The industry wage labourers were more or less
average number of children (0-12 years) was 4 educated whereas half of the agricultural

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labourers were illiterate. One of our respondents Table 3. Level of education of the participants
of 33 years age having 3 children, residing in a
nuclear family revealed that she went for school Education Agricultural Coir industry
up to class three. However, she did not know wage labour labour (n=10)
how to count and even write her own name. (n=20)
When she was asked how do she knew that she Matriculate 0% 30%
was paid full? She replied that if it was not full
Under metric 10% 40%
she would be beaten up by her husband as case
she submitted all her wage in her husband’s Middle school 15% 20%
hands and he decided how much and on what Lower primary 25% 10%
the money should be spent. Thus she has some Illiterate 50% 0%
kind of ‘resource’ through which she could Source: Field Survey, 2013
access her achievement into power, but, it is not
been done. She was unable to access or Table 4 shows the differences in expenditure of
exercise her power [12]. But, the coir industry both the agriculture and coir industry labourers
labourers are little more literate then the after they started earning. Significant changes
agricultural labourers. And their access to power were observed in the family expenditure after
can be easily seen. This power is not necessarily they started earning.
‘power over’ but ‘power within’ which must not be
ignored as mentioned in CWD, which is reflected The agricultural wage labourers tried to meet
in their words. One of my respondents from this their basic food needs through their extra income
group aged 37, matriculate, mother of two which was pretty difficult to fulfil by ones earning
child told me that she always wanted to do because of low earning and higher number of
something to earn to support herself, and she dependent members in the family, whereas the
used to weave but not in a regular manner, coir industry labourers tried to get more nutritious
however when she got a chance to get food through their extra earnings, especially for
engage with the coir industry she grab it at their children by consuming on food items like
the first chance, although it needs to convince health drinks.
her in laws and her husband. Here it could be
seen that two types of power one ‘power within’ Though both the groups tried to expanse more in
and ‘power with’ [13]. She also revealed that if education, coir industry labourers tried to avail
she was not that literate she might not able to better facilities like good equipments, tuitions;
think like this. Many a girls from her while the agriculture wage labourers tried to cope
neighbourhood refused to go out and join the with the basic educational needs like
industry only because they felt that they were not examination fee and school uniform. Still they
literate enough. But in the coir industry we also couldn’t afford to manage it with the little
met women educated only up to class five. They seasonal income and the adverse affect came up
also expended that initially they hesitated to join to the girl’s education. The girl, in most cases,
the industry, however, with time they also felt had to take care of the house and the younger
keep going. siblings.

Table 4. Pattern of family expenditure

Name of the item Agricultural wage labour Coir Industry labour

Food Basic food need could be made Can invest in Nutritious foods like
up. Still lake of nutritious food health drinks, eggs etc.
Cloth No change Able to invest little more for child’s
clothing
Education Childs educational needs could be Could bare child’s extra needs related
made up to education
Religion More expenditure coming in the More expenditure coming in the name
name of religion of religion
Medicine Start investment in medicine More investments in medicine
Intoxicant Items No change Less expenditure on alcoholic items
Source: Field Survey, 2013

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Very importantly the religious and medical Table 6. Household gadgets owned
expenditure went up for both the groups
supported by the extra income of the women. Item posses Agricultural Coir industry
Table 4, reveals that there were no changes in wage labour labour
the expenses of intoxicant items consumption Radio 35% 30%
amongst the agricultural labourers. That was Television 0% 20%
because they didn’t take the readymade alcohol Mobile 70% 70%
rather they prepare it at home. However, Electricity 0% 60%
surprisingly due to the expenses in alcoholic and LPG 15% 40%
tobacco products were been reduced among the connection
coir industry labourers families probably due to Sanitary 35% 80%
more women empowerment in the family. But, latrine
very crucially, in the agricultural labourer’s family Source: Field Survey, 2013
the women had very less say on the family
Perusal of data from the Table 6 interestingly
expenditure. The usual trend was to give all part
reveals that in spite of having no access to
of her wage to her husband’s hands. But recently
electricity, 70% of agricultural wage labourers’
they started saving money in the SHGs of the
possessed mobile phones at their households
villages. Saving was a very new concept for the
although they were dependent on either their
agricultural wage labourers. The table given
husbands or children for operating the gadget.
below shows the saving pattern of both the
As, the expanses of the cell-phone service was
groups before the Central govt scheme on Jan
solely borne by the male counterparts the female
Dhan Yojana.
folk had a little say on its uses. 15% of
Table 5. Savings pattern agricultural wage labourers had L.P.G.
connections. But the percentage was little higher
Savings/Insurance Agricultural Coir among the coir industry labourers (40%).These
wage industry gadgets were quite useful in reducing drudgery
labour labour and time. It gave a ‘power within’ and ‘power to’
(N=20) (N=10) women [12]. When the respondents were asked
about the sanitary latrine, it was found that they
Life Insurance 0 1 were aware of its essentiality but the economic
Savings account 0 2 constrain and unawareness of the way to its free
Postal deposits 7 6 construction through the ASHA workers under
Savings in SHG 16 10 Government scheme hindered the possession.
Source: Field Survey, 2013
Technology was a prominent ‘agency’ through
Among the agricultural labourers 16 and 7 which ‘resources’ could be exercised [12]. The
members had deposits in SHGs and Post agricultural wage labourers were totally deprived
office, respectively. None of them had Life of the technological part of the production
insurance covering and Savings in bank system. These women were not known to the
accounts. The coir industry wage labourers were simple technologies which could be implemented
little forward in this matter. Each and every in the field without much expense. Technologies
one of them had deposits in SHG and most of like Japanese paddy weeder which is a roller like
them were having deposits in the post machine for weeding could be easily adopted.
office. Savings account was also getting an Improved Sickle, Garden rake, Circular Blade
entry so as the life insurance. Savings gives Weeder, Improved Spreading tool (kurhuna) are
women power to access the ‘resources’ and some other small technologies that could be
finally leads to the empowerment. Resources easily adopted by the farm women. But when the
are the major dimensions of women respondents of the respective group were asked
empowerment. Greater the accessibility to about these small technologies they seemed to
resources, greater the agency through women be totally ignorant about all these. In contrast, the
could be empowered [12]. coir industry labourers were well equipped with
technology. Though in the coir industry, initially
Accessibility could be seen through the they made yarn and doormats by hands, but
household items that possessed by the present days all these jobs are done by
respondent. The Table 6 shows the household machines. They were well trained to handle
items that were possessed by the families of both machines. Use of technology increases
the groups. production, reduces drudgery and time, resulting

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in more production and wages. More the wage Autonomy in going for outing or visiting
more will be the amount of power to take friends/relative/parents i.e., freedom of mobility
decisions, which is referred by the intellectual was almost equal. On the other hand,
ability or knowledge and technological knowhow independent decision making in own health
as well as economic resources [13]. related issues was almost double for Coir
Industry Labourers. Decision making was most
‘Agency’, ‘resource’ and ‘power’ can only be restricted in financial matters among the
measured through the women’s representation in agricultural wage labourers. Usually the women
the decision making process [12]. Table 7 shows were not considered to be a part of any decision
women’s magnitude of autonomy in decision making process because of the pivotal role of
making process in both the groups. patriarchy from time immemorial. But now-a-
Participation in the decision making process is days, gradually with coming up of education and
the key indicator of the achievement. ‘Resources’ access to the economic resources along with the
and ‘agency’ make up people’s capabilities: that transfer of technologies to the women bringing
is, their potential for living the lives they want up some change to the so called weaker section.
[2,14]. The term ‘achievements’ refers to the The Table 7 also supports similar kind of data.
extent to which this potential is realised or fails to The autonomy was increased with the factors like
be realised; that is, to the outcomes of people’s education and transfer of technology because,
efforts [12]. In the Table 7, participation in the percentage is higher among the coir industry
decision-making was found higher for the Coir wage labourers, who had more education and
Industry Wage Labourers as compared to equipped with technology. In the agricultural
Agricultural wage labourers in some aspects of wage labourer’s family, the strong hold of
household decision making. Higher the patriarchy and social practices were well visible
participation in decision making higher is the from our previous discussion. One of our
degree of autonomy. Still one needs to look into respondents told us that the first and last time
the nature of this participation of women. The her opinion was considered and implemented
magnitude of decision making varies across when she demanded and fight for her child’s
trivial issues, issues related to own self, issues further education after class four. Here we can
related to children and critical issues. For matters see that she acquired the power, but couldn’t be
relating trivial issues autonomy were highest. able to exercised and retained.

Table 7. Magnitude of autonomy in decision making

Type of issues Autonomy in decision making

Agricultural wage Coir industry wage
labourer (N=20) labourer (N=10)
Trivial issues
In making in what items to cook VH H
Answering freely to questions asked H VH
Issues related to children
Purchasing requirements for children H VH
Education of children L H
Issues Related to own self
Obtaining health care for own health L H
Going for outings M M
Purchasing requirements for own self L M
Visiting and staying with friends, parents & relatives H H
Critical issues
Expenditure on Marriages. VL VL
Borrowing money for household demands L M
Borrowing money to start business. VL M
Paying back debts L M
Control over using money earned/saved L H
Note: Very High (VH) =above 80%, High (H) =60-80%, Moderate (M) =40-60%, Low (L) =20- 40%, Very Low
(VL) = Below 20%
Source: Field Survey, 2013

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The coir industry labourer’s autonomy was little more because they could do works like
higher in the decision making process. Autonomy ploughing and tilting, though they were
was increased after they engaged with the more costly. Whereas the coir industry was
industry. One of our respondent, a girl age of 23, basically dependent on women labourers.
unmarried and stayed with her parents, told us They prefer women labourers as they
that she was been consulted after she started believe that women could do better in
earning through the industry which was not the making yarn and doormats. Men were also
case earlier. Another respondent, a mother of employed in the coir industries but only for
one child told us that initially her husband asked the marketing purposes and for heavy
her not to continue with her job but it was not works like importing coir bundles from the
possible because of financial condition of the local supplier etc. Moreover they were well
family. However, now she could resist her trained in their job and this gave them
husband’s order and take her own decision to ‘power within’ and enable them to think of
continue with the job. In both the cases the another job if needed. Nevertheless, the
power exercised and in the second case not only need and importance gave women
exercised but also retained. The ‘power within’ engaged in the industry a sense of ‘power
and ‘power to’ as mentioned by Commission on within’ which was not seen in case of
Women and Development [13] to do according to agricultural wage labourers [12].
oneself and take her own decision was clearly • Non-use of technology: The agricultural
visible. The achievement gained through agency laborers were totally ignorant about the
and resources is leading to the exercise of power technologies used in the field of
through decision making process. agriculture. Garden rake, circular blade
Weeder, Improved Spreading Tool
3.1 Causes of the Differences (kurhuna), Japanese Paddy weeder,
Improved Sickle were some small
The amount of ‘agency’ and ‘resources’ technologies specially meant for women
determine the amount of achievement [12] and that could be easily adopted by the
difference in these causes differences the level agricultural labourers which could reduce
of women empowerment of the two groups drudgery. Agricultural labourers even
studied. There are reasons behind all these ignorant about small technologies that
differences which came up in the study- could be adopted in household works. But
the coir Industry labourers were observed
• Seasonal labour: The agricultural to be well equipped with machinery and
labourers were the seasonal labourers trained to handle them all. Use of
worked only in the seasons for Summer technology in job and home made them
and Winter paddy cultivation. They confidant and powerful.
remained unemployed for almost four • Less exposure: The agricultural wage
months of the year except in the seasons labourers had less exposure. They were
of paddy cultivation more particularly at the not exposed to the outer world except their
time of transplanting and harvesting. own circle as they were not educated.
Accordingly, the accessibility to the They didn’t fell like get to know to the
economic resource was not continuous world. Even they didn’t want to participate
and thus the power that acquired couldn’t in the village level activities as they were
be retained and exercised in a continuous not allowed by their husbands. Husbands
way. Whereas the coir industry laborers were the ultimate source of knowledge,
were regular employees. They had been they felt. But with the ASHA and
employed for the whole year and the Anganabadi Workers active roll, little
accessibility to the economic resources exposure to the need of medication and
were constant and thus the power gained education of their children had been
trough economic resources could be observed. On the other hand, the coir
retained and exercised. industry wage labourers were exposed to
• Unskilled labour: The agricultural the society. Some of them were also
labourers were usually unskilled and not members of the local SHG and Mahila
trained to do agricultural work. But the Samitee.
practice made them perfect and • Social constrains: Social constrain were
competent. But still, the preference of male higher among the agricultural labourers.
agricultural labourers was found to be

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 Boruah et al.; AJAEES, 15(2): 1-11, 2017; Article no.AJAEES.31453

The strong hold of patriarchy was distinctly COMPETING INTERESTS

seen among the agricultural wage
labourers. The reason behind was most Authors have declared that no competing
importantly the lake of education. Without interests exist.
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