Psychological Work Load and Drudgery in Livestock Rearing: A Gender Analysis

The present study was carried out in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Empirical data were collected personally through an interview schedule to understand the nature and extent of drudgery among1080 families (540 women + 540 male workers) covering 54 villages in livestock rearing. The drudgery index was calculated separately for male and female workers in livestock rearing based on the linear combination method using the scores obtained from the degree of difficulty experienced in the work, body posture difficulty, handling difficulty, time spent on the activity and frequency of operation. The study revealed significant differences in the mean scores of drudgery index between male and female respondents with respect to cutting and transportation of fodder, chaffing fodder, cleaning shelters, milk processing, deticking and spraying of disinfectants in animal shed, calving, grazing of animals, bathing, dung disposal, cleaning of farm utensils, and marketing of live animals, milk and milk products. No significant difference in terms of their drudgery was found for activities like; milking, feeding of animals, vaccinating the animals, artificial insemination/natural breeding and treating sick animals. Milking was reported maximum drudgery prone activity and Ranked I both by the male and female respondents. Marketing of live animals, milk and milk products and cleaning of shelter were ranked II and IIIrd drudgery prone activities revealed by male farmers and cow dung cake making and dung disposal by the female respondents.