Published Paper Details:

Agriculture, the backbone of the Indian economy, sustains nearly 70% of the population. Despite their significant role, rural women face distinct and often undervalued roles due to patriarchal norms and deep-rooted sex stereotypes. With 78% of female workers in India, and 86% in rural areas, engaged in agriculture, they often remain voiceless and invisible, working without payment or being pushed out of employment. National policies have aimed to improve conditions for women, but discriminatory practices and wage inequalities persist. This study examines perceptions of sex stereotypes among rural farm laborers through two investigations: Mittra (1992) on urban construction workers with rural background & rural base and Srivastava and Bhatnagar (2002) on socially excluded female farm laborers in Kuriana village. Using the Picture Story Test (Bhatnagar; Bhalla & Poptani, 1991), the study found strong adherence to traditional gender roles, with feminine traits like being soft-spoken and submissive, and masculine traits like independence and dominance, overwhelmingly endorsed. These findings highlight the entrenched patriarchal mindset and the need to address power, inequality, and social change within Indian psychological research. The study emphasizes the importance of reaching out to marginalized rural populations, which make up over 70% of the population, to foster social equity and empowerment.