Occupational Health Hazards Faced By Farm Women And Measures To Secure Health And Environment

Rural Indian women are extensively involved in agricultural activities. However, the nature and extent of their involvement differs with the variations in agro-production systems. As globalization shifts from agriculture to capital intensive, women bear disproportionate costs of both displacement and health hazards. Occupational dust exposures have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. It is not definite whether it is due to the preservatives such as pesticides or other agents like pentachlorophenol, creosote, formaldehyde, chromium, arsenic, etc. Maternal occupational pesticide exposure has also been identified as a risk factor for still birth.