In a major step towards strengthening the rights of women engaged in agriculture and allied sectors, the Maharashtra Assembly has unanimously passed the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026, a landmark legislation aimed at providing economic and social security to millions of women working in the farming ecosystem.
Introduced by Agriculture Minister Datta Bharne, the bill received support across party lines and is being seen as a significant move towards recognising the contribution of women in agriculture.
The most notable provision of the new legislation is that ownership of agricultural land will no longer be mandatory for a woman to be recognised as a farmer. Any woman actively involved in farming or allied agricultural activities will now be officially recognised as a “woman farmer”, even if the land on which she works is not registered in her name.
The legislation extends beyond conventional farming and covers women engaged in fisheries, animal husbandry, poultry farming, dairy activities and the collection of minor forest produce. Until now, many women involved in these sectors lacked formal recognition, preventing them from accessing several government welfare schemes and institutional benefits.
Under the new legislation, eligible women will be issued a Woman Farmer Certificate, which will serve as official proof of their status. The certificate will enable beneficiaries to access bank loans, crop insurance, government subsidies, agricultural training programmes, modern farming technologies and direct market linkages. The legislation also contains provisions aimed at preventing discrimination against women farmers.
Women seeking recognition under the new legislation will be able to apply through their local Gram Panchayat. The Gram Sabha will take the final decision on the application. In cases where an application is rejected, authorities will be required to provide clear and valid reasons for the decision.
For women residing in areas governed by urban local bodies, applications will be processed by the general body of the concerned Nagar Panchayat. Once approved, the certificate must be issued within 15 days.
The legislation also empowers local bodies to proactively identify and grant certificates to genuine women agricultural workers who may not have applied on their own, ensuring that eligible beneficiaries are not excluded from the scheme.
To facilitate effective implementation, the Maharashtra government will establish dedicated support centres and grievance redressal mechanisms for women farmers.
The legislation is being widely viewed as a transformative reform that formally acknowledges the role of women in agriculture and allied sectors while creating new avenues for financial inclusion, institutional support and economic independence.
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Published By:
Nitish Singh
Published On:
Jul 3, 2026 04:57 IST
