With reference to the Women Farmers’ Empowerment Bill passed by Maharashtra, consider the following statements: 1. The bill introduces a Woman Farmer Certificate to provide an ownership-based definition of a farmer. 2. The legislation was passed by the state of Maharashtra in July 2026. 3. The bill provides legal recognition to women who engage in farming activities even if they do not own land. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Maharashtra passes Women Farmers’ Empowerment Bill to grant independent recognition regardless of land ownership

GS3Economy · S&T · Environment · Security· Land reforms· Prelims + Mains· 31 October 2026

Gender inclusivity in agriculture: a GS3 case study on shifting from ownership-based to activity-based farmer definitions.

Why in news

Maharashtra passed the Women Farmers’ Empowerment Bill in July 2026 to grant women independent recognition as farmers regardless of land ownership.

Background

The bill introduces a 'Woman Farmer Certificate' to provide an activity-based definition of a farmer. It aims to provide legal recognition to women who engage in farming activities but do not own land.

Facts for Prelims

Act / BillWomen Farmers’ Empowerment Bill: Passed by Maharashtra in July 2026
FactWoman Farmer Certificate: Provides the first enforceable legal form for an activity-based definition of a farmer in India
PlaceMaharashtra: State that passed the legislation

Prelims practice question

With reference to the Women Farmers’ Empowerment Bill passed by Maharashtra, consider the following statements:

The bill introduces a Woman Farmer Certificate to provide an ownership-based definition of a farmer.
The legislation was passed by the state of Maharashtra in July 2026.
The bill provides legal recognition to women who engage in farming activities even if they do not own land.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)3 only
(d)2 and 3 only

Show answer

Answer: (d) 2 and 3 only — Statements 2 and 3 are correct. Statement 1 is incorrect: The certificate provides an activity-based definition of a farmer.

For Mains

Q. Discuss how shifting from ownership-based to activity-based definitions of farmers can enhance gender inclusivity in agricultural policy and credit access.

Dimensions to cover in your answer

Institutional visibility: Formal recognition enables women to access institutional credit and subsidies previously tied to land titles
Policy shift: Transition from asset-based to labor-based farmer identification addresses structural gender inequalities in rural land ownership

Keywords: Gender inclusivity · Activity-based definition · Institutional recognition · Structural inequality · Agricultural empowerment

Read the full news →Report a mistake in this note How notes are made Source: The Hindu ↗Also: GS2 · Bills, Acts & ordinances

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