Who Is Responding? Spousal Perspectives on Agricultural Decision-Making in India

The many changes in the rural agrarian landscape are expected to transform gender roles in agriculture in developing countries. Our interest is in examining the relation between gender and agricultural decision-making in India, where there is limited research despite agriculture's primacy for rural livelihoods. Drawing on unique data from Karnataka, India, we examine how agricultural decision-making roles vary by sex and whether our understanding is shaped by who responds to these questions. Our results suggest that decision-making is perceived differentially by men and women. Even when women perceive they have a voice in decisions, their spouse does not necessarily endorse it. Men consider themselves sole decision-makers, while women report joint decision-making with their spouses. Further, women's economic resources are associated with their decision-making roles. When women's decision-making roles are recognized, agricultural policies and interventions can be designed to include women, address their constraints and enhance their capabilities.