An assessment of livelihood security and impact on well-being of rural women practicing dairy farming in state of Haryana
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Date
2024-04
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Publisher
LUVAS Hisar
Abstract
This study examined the livelihood security and well-being of 180 rural women engaged in
dairy farming in Haryana, India, where the dairy sector has grown substantially. The study finds that
milk and milk products contribute significantly to food security, while other dimensions of livelihood
security, such as shelter, education, and social security, vary among respondents. The majority of
respondents were in the medium category of livelihood security. The study also assessed well-being
across ten capabilities, such as life, bodily health, affiliation, emotions, and practical reasons. It was
seen that keeping animals was perceived as having positive effects on some capabilities, such as life
expectancy and bodily health, but negative or neutral effects on others, such as affiliation and
emotions. The study also explored how keeping animals affects the respondentsā ability to engage in
other species, play, and control their environment. Most respondents did not think that keeping animals
has a negative impact on these capabilities. The study ranked the constraints faced by the respondents,
such as high cost of animal feeds and poor availability of fodder, as the most serious, while issues such
as difficulty in storing milk in the summer season and lack of loan facilities were least serious. The
study analyzed the factors that influenced the respondentsā livelihood security and constraint
perception, such as education, caste, landholding, herd size, annual income, and economic motivation.
It is argued that there is a need for empower women in the dairy sector by challenging the stereotypes
and norms that limit their opportunities. Also, it is suggested that it is essential to promote genderresponsive dairy technologies and practices that can improve the productivity, resilience, and incomes
of women farmers, by intervening in different services such as animal health services, milk markets,
sale and purchase, credit institutions, and so on.