Drudgery can be reduced by providing gender-friendly farm tools and equipment which increase the productivity of worker with safety and comfort to her. Time scheduling is also needed for achieving such task. The study should include the gender-perspective such as wearing, long hair, purda system, anthropometry, muscular strength, aerobic capacity etc.
In agriculture field operations, women should be trained and they should be allowed to share their difficulties and ideas. Change of work/ promotions in work-stages must be allowed that avoids gender-bias fear among women and they should be assured that they are par with men in work and payment.
In fact, drudgery is termed for hard work, monotony, time consuming, use of traditional tools with inappropriate working posture in field. So one way of reduction of drudgery can be through quantifying the particular field operation. For example, if work is being performed by a farm women with traditional tools in bending/ squatting posture, which was reduced by providing women friendly farm equipment (equipment assessed/developed considering gender-perspective). So the physiological workload of same work by both the methods will b evaluated and assessed based on output. To further add the work, a subjective scale can also be used for performance as well as their feedback. In combination to these, drudgery can be assessed in quantifiable term.
In addition to efficient gender friendly tools and timing of operations, change of attitude is key. The cultural backgrounds of most of our fisherfolk, farmers and pastoralists prohibited women from from doing certain activities or playing certain roles. Some of these roles need to change.. After all work that is considered as drudgery may not necessary be so but only requires change of attitude.
The role of public policy in increasing accessibility and affordability of women friendly drudgery reducing technologies is inevitable. Most of these drudgery reducing equipments like tractors and milling machines are too expensive for women farmers, especially those in Africa.
I totally agree with Drs Arjun Pangannavar and Lawrence O Mose for change of attitude, equality and training of womenfolks. Further, appropriate hand tools can be used and work should not be monotonous by having weekly schedules and division of labour.
I agree with the views above, that gender friendly farm equipments are most important in reducing drudgery for farm women, particularly the hand held small equipments and tools must be developed, popularized and made available at reasonable cost to the women so that it can help reduce their drudgery.
Appropriate technologies based on principles of ergonomics can bridge the gap and reduce drudgery, ill health, stress and enhance efficiency, productivity, better health and satisfaction among the workers.
Gender friendly wall behind electric powered equipment will significantly reduce drudgery of farm women because major force requiring activity is performed with empower.
By developing tools and implements by considering ergonomical parameters of women labour for safety and comfort
Drudgery can be reduce by developing machine with the concept design for optimum workers and the women can carry out continuous task without fatigue if the energy requirement for the task is less than 250 watt
By reducing effort and providing comfort (By ergonomic principles). prime example is power steering system. Tractor manufacturers in India introduced the same for growing numbers of women tractor drivers in the provinces of Punjab since mechanical steering system had higher mechanical advantage, To reduce the same power steering was introduced. Hence only ergonomics wont alone solve the problem , introduction of better mechanical advantage structure would solve thew problem also . Now is have become common.
Development of women friendly equipment. But these equipment should be ease in availability and their cost should also be in approachable, otherwise only development of equipment does not to reduces drudgery. Their accessiblity and approachability of equipment have to focused area. Even subsidy based or hired centre based plate atleast block level should be open by Government and learning by doing concept will have great role to popularized equipment based work.
Selection of appropriate different farm machines/tools for different farm operations which are developed based on ergonomically design.
Gender friendly equipment is needed. Utilisation of Hybrid power will help in reducing drastic drudgery with increased overall productivity.
Introduction of ergonomically designed tools and equipment will help to reduce drudgery of women as compared to conventional traditional tools. Also need to introduce appropriate power source as per the need.
There are many equipment available for various farm operations , particularly manual operated. I have experienced two factors 1) workload and 2) dedication of operator. Manual operated women friendly equipment reduces drudgery per unit area/ output but is it workable for day long or whole day work?
Attempts for developing equipment by division of workload in manual women friendly equipment have vast potential. Some of such equipment is available at IARI.
Agreed with Dr Sukhbir Singh for ergonomic design can reduce drudgery of women. Dr S P Singh rightly pointed out the workload and expertise of the operator. If any one follows proper work schedule along with rest pause, then it can workable.
The agri engineers should make women friendly implements ,customised with the height and weight of women. Small light weight implements should be made which the women farmers can easily handle. Moreover, help from male folk and sharing of workload.
Use of the most suitable designed ergonomic tools/equipments after proper calibration and validation, then maximum levels of drudgery can be reduced of women in conventional agricultural production system. And more attention is required by adopting the fully/ partially mechanized tillage production system rather than typical traditional tillage production system to reduce the overall drudgery, improving the human energy profitability and eco-efficiency indexing.
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