Maharashtra Bill Grants Women Farmers Official Recognition, Enables Access to Welfare Schemes
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday introduced the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026, in the state legislature. The bill seeks to recognise women engaged in agriculture as farmers and issue them official certificates, enabling access to various welfare policies, programmes, schemes, and credit.
According to the bill, a 'woman farmer' is defined as any woman resident of Maharashtra who is engaged in agriculture, irrespective of the nature of land ownership. This definition aims to include women who cultivate family or community land without holding formal titles, who are often counted as agricultural labourers rather than farmers.
The bill further states that a woman farmer contributes to any type of innovation, conservation, preservation, or propagation of diverse agricultural varieties of seeds, farm animals, and fish; adopts cultivation methods for climate resilience; practices integrated farming systems; or adds value to primary produce or raw agricultural and animal produce by engaging in primary processing.
The legislation is expected to address the historical invisibility of women in agriculture, where they constitute nearly half of the agricultural workforce but are frequently denied recognition and benefits. By issuing official certificates, the bill aims to formalise their status and facilitate access to credit, subsidies, training, and other support systems.
The bill now awaits debate and approval in the state legislature. If passed, Maharashtra will become one of the few states in India to formally recognise women as farmers, setting a precedent for gender-inclusive agricultural policies.
