Meaning
Lesson 35 : Women and Drudgery
Meaning
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Drudgery is monotonous routine labour that creates stress.
Indicators of Drudgery:
- Physical stress- Pressure on body parts
- Physiological stress- Pressure in biological process
- Psychological stress- Mental pressure and fatigue
- Knowledge stress- Lack of information to satisfy the needs
- Economic stress- Unable to procure materials due to low purchasing power
- Social stress- Lack of support from the society
- Skill stress - Lack of skills
Drudgery inagricultural operations:
Operation
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Man of hours of work
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Drudgery
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Seedbed preparation, sowing and transplanting
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120 per ha
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High postural load In puddle and knee deep mud 20-25% higher energy demand than on the dry surface
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Weeding and inter- cultivation
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15-20% of the total man hours
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Postural stress due to continuous sitting and moving on two legs flexed at knee in dry land and stooping in watered lands
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Harvesting
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10% of total man hours
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Cardio respiratory and thermo-regulatory strain
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Post harvest – winnowing, raking, shelling, decortications, hulling, peeling, cutting, slicing, fiber extraction etc.,
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20% of total man hours, Highly labor intensive
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Joint pains, aches, skin and eye allergies.
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Example: Energy and expenditure and heart rate during home operations:
Operation
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Heart rate
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Peak Heart rate
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Energy
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Pak energy
|
|
|
|
expenditure
|
expenditure
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Fetching fuel
|
140.34
|
159.6
|
13.59
|
16.70
|
Collection of fodder
|
118.71
|
140.98
|
10.1
|
13.69
|
|
|
|
|
|
Milking
|
108.16
|
129.7
|
8.2
|
12.2
|
Fetching water
|
96,25
|
126.3
|
6.58
|
11.36
|
Categorization of farm operations and activities based on severity:
S.No
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Farm operations and activities
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Work severity
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1
|
Emptying of tractor
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Light to moderate
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2
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Sowing
|
Light to moderate
|
3
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Transplanting seedling by hand on puddle field
|
Moderate
|
4
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Weeding using hand tool in bent and squat posture
|
Heavy to moderate
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5
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Uprooting seedlings by hand, in suat and bent position
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Moderate to heavy
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6
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Harvesting paddy using sickle
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Light to heavy
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7
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Plucking vegetables
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Light to heavy
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8
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Cutting crops like sugar cane
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Light to heavy
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9
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Load carrying on head (20-25 Kg)
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Moderate to extremely heavy
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10
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Winnowing (squat and stand)
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Light to moderate
|
11
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Pounding grain
|
Moderate to extremely heavy
|
12
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Walking on puddle field
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Light to moderate
|
13
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Spreading grains and vegetables on the floor
|
Moderate to heavy
|
|
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|
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Last modified: Thursday, 5 July 2012, 7:24 AM