Women and the agricultural sciences in India: Strengths, barriers, and opportunities

This research project investigates the strengths, barriers, and opportunities around women’s inclusion in agricultural sciences in India. The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) will be studied to illuminate women’s pathways into education and their careers in agricultural sciences.

Currently, women outnumber men among students and teaching staff in TNAU. This motivates two main research questions: what the feminization of TNAU means for women’s status and gender inclusion across programs and levels within the university and more broadly within the field of agricultural sciences; and how this feminization has come about.

The study will be the first to undertake a comprehensive gender analysis of agricultural universities in India using a feminist methodological framework. This research aims to contribute to academic and public debates on the status of women in science and agricultural development in India and offer insights to attract and retain women.

This project was selected for funding as part of the call for proposals “Breaking systemic barriers to women’s participation in science”.