Awareness of Farm Women in Regards To Agricultural Coverage in Media

Abstract

In most developing countries, like India, women are responsible for nutrition and food security at household level and even at agricultural level whereas they are not considered ‘farmers’. They just do this duty as being addressed as housewives. Whereas, women are more than that.The 2020 prediction says that more than half of new Internet users in India will be from rural societies, and rural users will constitute almost half (48%) of connected users (The Rising Connected Consumer in Rural India: by The Boston Consulting Group suggests). Also, number of Indian rural internet users will reach to 315 million users in 2020. The growth will be driven by cheaper handsets, explosion of wireless and wireline networks. Even various studies after 201 suggested that Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube are now being used to share diverse farming based information across different parts of India. Similarly, the contribution of females, in modern times, is unlimited both at home and farm. Women have an understanding of the latest technologies which could be amalgamated with agriculture. For Agriculture, media aims at encouraging national integration, dissemination of message, educating women, providing healthy entertainment and spreading of essential knowledge to fuel agricultural production.Punjab is a land of farming and known as ‘Bread Basket’ and its women are equally contributing in the agriculture. In the various villages of Punjab, women are oriented to farming and use Media for agricultural tips, agricultural know-hows, recipes, sessions based on agriculture, etc. Even a wide range of mass media including newspaper, magazines, books, radio, television etc. are being utilised by farm women based in Punjab. The following study will focus on the utilisation of Media, in various forms, by farm women of Village Pakhowal, Punjab for analysing agricultural coverage.