Women labourers socio-personal, participation and their constraints in post-harvest activities of dry chilli – A

comparative study in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh was undertaken during 2019-2020 in Haveri district of

Karnataka and Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh with a sample of 60 women labourers. Purposive random

sampling technique was used to select the respondents and data was analyzed through frequency, percentage, range and t-test. The results showed that, 80.00 per cent of Haveri and 63.33 per cent of Guntur district respondents belonged to middle aged (36-50) category. More than two third (66.66 %) of Haveri and 56.67 per cent of Guntur district women labourers were illiterates. Most of Haveri (60.00%) and Guntur district (66.67%) women labourers belonged to small family size. The family income was medium for 63.33 per cent of Haveri and 56.67 per cent for Guntur district women labourers. More than half (56.67%) of Haveri and around one third (30.00%) of Guntur district respondents belonged to backward castes. Remaining belonged to SC/ST and forward castes. They had low extension, organizational and mass media participation. Social participation was medium. The women labourers faced many constraints while performing post-harvest activities at field such as health problems by 90.00 per cent of Haveri and 83.33 per cent Guntur district field level women labourers. Similarly 83.33 per cent of Haveri and 90.00 per cent of Guntur district respondents said that they are unable to manage time between household work and farm. More than 70.00 per cent told low wages and no off seasonal jobs as a constraint. More than 70.00 percent of respondents said joint pain, whole body ache, hand pain and back ache followed by 65.00 percent told eye burning were the health problems faced by them while performing post-harvest activities of dry chilli in the fields. The results in the study revealed that, overall participation index was 26.09 for women, 30.22 for men and 23.68 for both in Haveri, whereas 26.85 for women, 31.36 for men and 21.87 for both men and women in Guntur respectively. The results in the study also revealed, there was a significant difference between Haveri district and Guntur district field level labourers.