Daily Time Use and Access of Farm Women in Andhra Pradesh: A Case Study

Women’s empowerment is one of the most significant movements for national development. Consequently, numerous government and private organizations have endeavored to advance women’s empowerment for their improved livelihoods. Decision-making, access and control over resources, benefiting from government schemes, enjoying leisure time, and other factors serve as indicators of women’s empowerment. This study aimed to understand the ground reality of fisherwomen belonging to the OBC (Vadabalija) category in the Visakhapatnam Urban block of Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh. Average daily time use, decision-making, access and control, utilization of farm tools, needs, and accessing government schemes were analyzed to comprehend the existing livelihood system of the selected fisherwomen, the challenges they face, and strategies to overcome them. The analysis reveals that women in the region face heavier workloads with unpaid activities, lack access and control over resources, are marginalized in decision-making processes, and derive fewer benefits from schemes. Their needs were also examined to devise strategies for overcoming these challenges.