Do not ignore the role of the woman livestock farmer

Context:

The role of women's labor is important in all facets of livestock development and also in the livestock economy.

Issues with data collection:

• Lack of reliable data: Labour Survey fails to accurately record the data of women’s work in livestock-raising because of short spells of work and work often done within the homestead.
• Women’s pattern of work: Due to distributed tasks like milking cow; washing shed; feeding animals, etc., the woman herself may not report “livestock rearing” as economic activity.
• Augmented participation work: It is an estimate where women report themselves as “engaged in domestic duty” and also spending time on activities, e.g.: household dairy/poultry, husking, etc.

An underestimation and Policies:

• Data Discrepancy: The employment and Unemployment Survey of 2011-2012, says that ~12 million rural women are engaged in livestock raising but the augmented estimate makes it ~49 million.
• National Livestock Policy (NLP) of 2013: It rightly states that around 70% of the labor for the livestock sector comes from women. One of the goals of this policy is the empowerment of women.