Employment of Rural Women in Sericulture - An Empirical Analysis

Employment of rural women has become an important issue in the aftermath of Economic Reforms in the country. As income and employment opportunities in agriculture are becoming increasingly uncertain due to persons migrating from rural areas in search of better income opportunities in urban areas, and escalation of cost of critical inputs in recent years, allied activities like sericulture offer sustainable income and employment for rural women throughout the year. In this context, an empirical study has been taken up in Tamil Nadu to show the contribution of women workforce in sericulture. The study also revealed that female labour participation is not only high but also the share of own family female labour employment is high. However, role of women in decision-making in sericulture has been limited, and not adequately recognised. This paper attempts to address several issues and strategies to empower women in sericulture.