Maharashtra formally recognises women farmers regardless of land ownership [Commentary]

The Maharashtra Women Farmer’s Empowerment Act 2026 aims to formally recognize women engaged in agriculture or allied activities as farmers, irrespective of land ownership. This recognition will introduce Women Farmer Certificates (WFCs) to lakhs of women involved in sowing, tending, harvesting, and managing agri-food systems, livestock, poultry, and fisheries who are currently excluded from the formal definition of a farmer. The initiative is framed by the observation that while women manage agricultural lands increasingly, they lack corresponding control over assets or decision-making power. The legislation stems from a process involving extensive consultation with women farmers and civil society groups regarding access to resources, credit, and entitlements. Furthermore, the Act establishes structures like a Women Farmer Empowerment Cell, a monitoring committee, and assistance officers to facilitate access to existing schemes and ensure future support systems are designed around women’s needs.

The narrative pivots on the distinction between recognition and structural transformation. The initial phase—issuing WFCs—represents a crucial step in shifting the perception of who constitutes a farmer, moving away from a solely land-based definition to one centered on labor and contribution. However, the analysis points out that mere certification does not resolve deeper systemic barriers. A critical tension emerges between acknowledging women's economic role (through recognition) and securing legal control over assets (through land governance). The argument suggests that without embedding gender-equitable land administration frameworks, such as joint land titles, recognition remains conditional support rather than genuine empowerment, leaving decisions regarding credit, insurance, and tenure outside the scope of the certificate. The lesson from past initiatives, like MKSP, indicates that practical empowerment requires combining knowledge (scientific training) with institutional change. The most significant implication is that if policy systems—regarding credit access, market structures, and land records—do not evolve concurrently to recognize WFCs as definitive proof of farmer status, the certification risks becoming an endpoint rather than a catalyst for rights. The pattern observed is the necessity of layering legal recognition upon economic acknowledgment to achieve true agency.