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Gender and mechanization: Evidence from Indian agriculture

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  • Farzana Afridi
  • Monisankar Bishnu
  • Kanika Mahajan

Abstract

Technological change in production processes with gendered division of labor across tasks, such as agriculture, can have a differential impact on women's and men's labor. Using exogenous variation in the extent of loamy soil, which is more amenable to deep tillage than clayey soil and therefore more likely to see adoption of tractor‐driven equipment for primary tilling, we show that mechanization led to significantly greater decline in women's than men's labor on Indian farms during 1999–2011. Reduced demand for labor in weeding, a task often undertaken by women, explains our findings. The estimates suggest that a 10% increase in mechanized tilling led to a 5% fall in women's farm labor use, with no accompanying increase in their non‐farm sector employment. Our results highlight the gendered impact of technological change in contexts where there is task based gender division of labor with limited opportunities for women to diversify their workforce participation.

Suggested Citation

  • Farzana Afridi & Monisankar Bishnu & Kanika Mahajan, 2023. "Gender and mechanization: Evidence from Indian agriculture," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 105(1), pages 52-75, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:ajagec:v:105:y:2023:i:1:p:52-75
    DOI: 10.1111/ajae.12315
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    2. Pubali Chakraborty & Kanika Mahajan, 2023. "Firm Size and Female Employment," Working Papers 103, Ashoka University, Department of Economics.
    3. Kajal Gulati & Patrick S. Ward & Travis J. Lybbert & David J. Spielman, 2024. "Intrahousehold preference heterogeneity and demand for labor‐saving agricultural technology," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(2), pages 684-711, March.
    4. Araujo, Rafael & Borges, Bruna & Costa, Francisco J M & Santos, Kelly, 2024. "Seeds of Disparity: the Gender Land Divide from Brazil's Agricultural Transition," SocArXiv dk4bc, Center for Open Science.
    5. Hiroyuki Takeshima, 2024. "Agricultural mechanisation and gendered labour activities across sectors: Micro‐evidence from multi‐country farm household data," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(1), pages 425-456, February.
    6. Ma, Wanglin & Zhou, Xiaoshi & Boansi, David & Horlu, Godwin Seyram Agbemavor & Owusu, Victor, 2024. "Adoption and intensity of agricultural mechanization and their impact on non-farm employment of rural women," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    7. Shrestha, Samyam & Kadam, Aditi & Gaddis, Isis & Javed, Amna, 2024. "Regional Integration and Gendered Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from Two Nationwide Highway Networks in India," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 344057, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Saha, Koustuv & Gulati, Kajal, 2024. "Agricultural Mechanization and Gendered Structural Transformation in India," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343578, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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