Impact of micro finance on dairy enterprise women – A case study in Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Women constitute half of the world population, perform nearly two thirds of its working hours but still receive only one-tenth of income and one-hundredth of world's property. Gender discrimination is distinct and common in all developing countries in the world. Agricultural wages paid to women are on an average 30–40% less than those of men in India. Women have extensive workloads with dual responsibility for farm in general and livestock and house-hold production in India. Micro finance is a broad term that includes deposits, loans, payment services and insurances to poor people. The poor families with very small loans to help them engage in productive activities or grow their tiny business. The activities vary widely ranging from care of animals, grazing, fodder collection, cleaning of animals and sheds to processing milk and livestock products. In livestock management, indoor jobs like milking, feeding, cleaning is done by women in 90% of families while management of male animals and fodder production are affected by men. The multi-stage random sampling method has been followed to select rural women in Rayalaseema region (Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa and Kurnool districts) of Andhra Pradesh. The objectives are to study the socio- economic conditions of rural women beneficiaries and analyze the feasibility of investment on dairy enterprise. To assess the impact of micro finance on income and employment of rural women through dairy enterprise and constrains faced by rural women and suggest appropriate measures to improve economic conditions of the rural women dairy entrepreneurs.