Maharashtra Farm Bill: Does it really empower women farmers? | In Focus Podcast
The Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026, aims to redefine agricultural identity for women by de-linking it from land ownership. While the legislation is a milestone for gender equality in farming, critics question why it does not provide stronger incentives for women's land ownership.
Why it matters
This legislation represents a significant shift in agricultural policy, potentially impacting the economic status of millions of women farmers in India.
Maharashtra has become the first state in India to bring about a legislation for the empowerment of women farmers. The Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026, has been passed by both the Houses. It gives a broader definition of women farmers and de-links agricultural identity from land ownership. But while the Bill claims to address decades of systemic economic exclusion of women, it leaves questions about why women’s inclusion in land records was not incentivised through the legislation. Chennai-based MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) played a pivotal role in shaping and advocating for this legislation.
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