Short term consultancy/research support

Consultant for descriptive and econometric analysis & report writing

Agriculture sector plays an important role in the livelihood of people in India, providing employment and income. This sector has shown resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic when most of the other sectors of the economy have faltered. Women play a key role in agriculture in India apart from the reproductive role, household activities, caregiving, involvement in the society/community, etc. They provide critical labour by carrying out large number of activities in agriculture, namely land preparation, sowing operations, planting, weeding, pest control, harvesting, threshing, winnowing, management of livestock and fisheries, storage, processing, and marketing. The world of women’s work, especially in agriculture, has generally been studied and discussed from the perspective of participation. Participation indicates involvement or being engaged in an activity and denotes the qualitative aspect whether or not a person is carrying out an activity. Contribution, on the contrary, is quantification of the participation and it has two dimensions, that is, being engaged (or not) and the duration of engagement. Data on participation are widely available from sources like the census exercise, the periodic National Sample Survey, and the small-scale field studies. Most of the discourse on women in agriculture in India is built on the data on participation and very often, unknowingly, the participation in agriculture is taken as the contribution that presents a narrative far away from the truth. In this backdrop, this study is proposed to fully understand the world of women’s work, there is need to study not only their participation in myriad activities from dawn to dusk in various situations. Specifically, the following issues would be addressed.

• Intergenerational Time Use Patterns:

Examine how different generations (across genders) within households allocate their time. This could provide insights into the dynamics of shared responsibilities and leisure activities between older and younger household members.

• Influence of Household Characteristics on Time Use:

Analyze how various household characteristics, such as household size, primary source of energy for cooking and lighting, and type of dwelling structure, impact time allocation. This could uncover links between living conditions and daily routines.

• Effect of Social and Religious Groups on Time Use:

Investigate how social groups and religion influence time use patterns. This can shed light on cultural practices and socioeconomic factors affecting daily life.

• Economic Activities and Unpaid Labor:

Study the balance between paid and unpaid labor within households, focusing on gender differences. This research can highlight the extent of economic contributions through unpaid household and caregiving activities.

• Leisure and Cultural Activities:

Explore the time spent on leisure and cultural activities, and how this varies by demographics such as age, gender, and education level. This could provide valuable data for cultural policy and recreational infrastructure development.

• Regional Variations in Time Use:

Conducting comparative studies across different states/regions to understand regional disparities in time use. This could help in identifying specific regional needs and tailoring local policies accordingly.

Responsibility of the Consultant:

Data, compilation, cleaning, and analysis from the above sources.

Conduct literature reviews.

Conduct economic modelling and statistical analysis.

Preparation of tables based on the analysis.

Assistance in drafting of research papers and project reports.

Other relevant support as assigned.

Source of Data:

Time Use Survey 2019 and Pilot Time Use Survey (1998) for Six states.

Level of analysis:

Across genders and social groups

Deliverable:

Extracted database, final tables based on descriptive and econometric analysis, first draft of the paper/report

Qualification required:

Master’s/Ph.D degree in Economics/ Agricultural Economics, Statistics/ Agricultural Statistics, or a closely related field.

Having experience of working with unit level NSSO data.

Duration: 03 months

Application: Please submit (1) a brief letter of interest highlighting qualifications mentioned above, (2) samples of previous assignments, (3) a copy of your updated CV.