Over 8 Crore Women Registered on e-Shram Portal

By: WE staff | Wednesday, 3 December 2025

• Over 8.04 crore women workers have registered on the e-Shram portal
• The government underlined the great contribution of women in agriculture and allied sectors
• Minister Ram Nath Thakur drew attention to women's growing contribution in the sector

Women continue to play a crucial role in the farm sector of the country as 8.04 crore women workers are registered on the e-Shram portal, the Centre told Parliament.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur stated that the participation of women in agriculture and allied sectors is increasing with the government making continuous efforts to enhance their livelihoods, income security, and overall empowerment.

As stated by the e-Shram portal, the number of registrations for workers from agriculture and allied sectors stands at 16.25 crore, out of which nearly 50 percent are women.

According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2023–24, 76.9 percent of rural women and 12.3 percent of urban women are into agriculture. Given that 64.4 percent of India’s workforce depends on agriculture, the numbers underpin the importance of the sector and the role played by women.

Emphasizing the role of women in food security and stability of rural economies, Minister Ram Nath said the government is committed to strengthening their role through focused policies and programs.

Various initiatives undertaken by the government are aimed at supporting and empowering women in agriculture. The Code on Wages, 2019, provides for universal minimum wage protection and prohibits any gender-based wage discrimination.

MKSP promotes sustainable agriculture, livestock management, and forest-produce handling, with 4.86 crore women farmer households already adopting agro-ecological practices.

More than 3 lakh SHG-based resource persons-Community Resource Persons and Krishi Sakhis-have been trained to support women farmers, while 70,021 Krishi Sakhis are certified as Agriculture Para Extension Workers for promoting natural farming. Programs like Pashu Sakhis / AHELPs assist women in livestock care and improve rural incomes.

The government has opened Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institutes to provide training in the use of gender-friendly equipment, and under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), women farmers are entitled to a 50 percent subsidy while purchasing machinery.

Similarly, the ATMA Programme devotes at least 30 percent resources to women farmers and extension workers in 734 districts, while KVKs regularly undertake training and capacity-building activities specifically designed for women.