Author(s):

Dr. Veenita Kumari and Dr. Maya Kumari

Abstract: Pig production in North-East India is a popular venture. In the state of Meghalaya it is an important sub-sector having a long tradition of backyard production and a constantly growing level of consumption. In traditional Indian society, women’s access to resource is mostly restricted because of the practiced social norms of patriarchy and this has institutionalized women’s subjection in the family as well as in the society. But Meghalaya is the only matriarchal state of India. Hence, it becomes imperative to explore gender roles demarcation of the people engaged in various agriculture and related activities. Hence the study was conducted with the objective of ‘Analysis of gender roles of Garo people of Meghalaya engaged in piggery’. The study was conducted under University funded research project (IRP). A total of 120 respondents (60 couples) were selected from four villages (random) from the two randomly selected blocks of West Garo Hills district, Meghalaya. But only those couples who were engaged in pig farming were considered for interview and data collection. Hence, the total no. of respondents for this study was 110 (55 couples). Women had a significant contribution in both the routine activities i.e. feeding chaff (87.27 per cent) and cleaning of sty (90.91 per cent), and the non-routine activities –selling of pigs/piglets (85.45 per cent). The activities like selection of breeds (49 nos.), collection/ buying of chaff (50 nos.), construction of sty (51 nos.) and disease management (43 nos.) are primarily carried out by young males while selling of pigs/piglets (47 nos.) are primarily carried out by young females. Two activities (feeding chaff and cleaning of sty) are exclusively feminine in nature and shouldered by the female members of the family. The routine activities of piggery are carried out by women while non-routine activities are primarily carried out by male members of the family.

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