Maharashtra law recognises women as farmers regardless of land ownership

Maharashtra's Women Farmers' Empowerment Bill, passed in July 2026, grants women independent recognition as farmers through a Woman Farmer Certificate, even if they own no land. It is the first state law to give enforceable legal form to the activity-based definition of 'farmer' set out in the 2007 National Policy for Farmers. About 110 million women worked in Indian agriculture in 2025.