Unheard, Unpaid, Unprotected, Unrecognized: The Legal Void for Female Agricultural Laborers in India
Keywords:
Female agricultural laborers, informal economy, gender wage gap, land rights, legal protection, rural employment, labor law, women in agriculture, economic empowerment, policy reformAbstract
India’s agrarian economy heavily depends on female agricultural employees but they receive minimal protection and compensation along with little recognition. This study performs an in-depth analysis of law-based structural and socio-economic barriers which prevent female agricultural laborers from gaining empowerment especially within informal economic activities. Historical research combined with modern statistical data and policy standards show that women actively participate in farming
activities while lacking ownership rights and experience wage discrimination and legal nonrecognition. The research analyzes current laws regarding labor rights together with land ownership laws and social protection standards to reveal how lacking gender-specific legal reforms sustains rural inequality along with restricting improvements in agricultural production rates. The study demands fundamental policy changes which will provide equal land ownership together with fair wages along with social security programs for agricultural laborers while legal and judicial reform will function as a transformative force for women's justice and economic growth.
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