Gender Differential Time Use Pattern in Crop Activities Poultry Sericulture and Dairy Include Farming Systems

Field survey was carried out at Salem district to assess the time utilization pattern of farm men and women in seven different farming systems.The farming systems included 4 components viz., Crop, Dairy, Poultry and Sericulture. The results revealed that the farm men and farm women used to work normally for 15 hours on an average per day to attend farm and home related activities. Sericulture included farming systems viz., C+S, C+D+S, C+P+S, C+D+S+P. Women contribution in allied enterprises was higher as compared to other systems by spending 5.48, 6.02, 7.03 and 8.09 hours/day, respectively. When additional enterprises were added to crop, women adjusted their home related activities in such a way to concentrate more on allied activities and marked reduction in their leisure time. The time spent by both men and women on crop related activities registered a reduction when more than two enterprise were added in their farming. To reduce the drudgery of farm women, urgent attention related to invention and popularization of labour saving devices applicable to crop, dairy, poultry and sericulture is very much warranted.