Gender Participation in Crop Production and Animal Husbandry and Related Activities in the Rural Area of Sikkim in North-Eastern India

The present work has studied the gender participation in crop production and animal husbandry and related activities in the rural area of Sikkim in North- Eastern India. The effect of different socio- economic factors such as age, education and land holding on the participation of women in different activities of sample farmers at selected sites of Sikkim State has also been analyzed. Percentages have been used to come to a logical conclusion for that. 230 female farmers have been surveyed through schedule and questionnaire. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics with the help of SPSS has been used to interpret the data. The percentage data for participation in the activities-vaccination/visits to animal hospitals; breeding of animals and ploughing has shown male dominance at all level of education. In the State, the majorities of sample female farmers have been noticedin the age group 20-39 years (55%), primary level of education (39%) and belong to the category of small farmers (64%). (90%) of the respondents have been observed as the cultivators while (52%) male ownership of land hasbeenremarked. Data has signposteda strong impact of educationlevel on laborious farm and animal related activities. Comparatively more percentage of Illiterate farm women has been found participating in these types of activities. The percentage data for large farmwomen has discovered joint participation in all the activities except for the above mentioned male dominated activities. Data for age and participation has revealed that 25-45% of sample female farmers for all the category of ages independently participatein sowing, weeding, harvesting, milking and milk disposal. Results pertaining to these findings have been discussed in this paper.