Punjab’s agrarian distress burdening its rural women: 60% under debt, 53% faced violence, finds study
The Punjabi University study is based on data from 711 rural women respondents across the districts of Sangrur, Mansa, and Bathinda—areas identified as hotspots for farmer suicides.
Punjab’s agrarian distress, marked by farmer suicides, rising agricultural input costs, and mounting debts, has had a cascading effect on the state’s rural women.
A study by the Department of Economics at Punjabi University (PU), Patiala, reveals that 60 per cent of surveyed women are under outstanding debt, while 53 per cent have experienced some form of violence.
The study highlights the precarious financial and social conditions faced by these women, many of whom lack ownership of land, homes, or assets yet are left to shoulder the burden of repaying debts after male family members commit suicide.
The study — Understanding the Nature, Forms, and Implications of Structural Violence Against Rural Women in the Context of Agrarian Distress in Punjab — was conducted by Dr Anupama, Professor of Economics at Punjabi University, Patiala, and Simran, Assistant Professor at Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib.
It was carried out in collaboration with the Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM) and Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch (MAKAAM) — organisations working for women’s welfare in Punjab.
Based on data from 711 respondents across the districts of Sangrur, Mansa, and Bathinda — areas identified as hotspots for farmer suicides by Punjab Agricultural University — the findings paint a grim picture of the toll agrarian distress has taken on women. Of the respondents, 74 per cent women were married, 23 per cent widowed, 1 per cent unmarried, and 2 per cent divorced or separated.
Debt burden and its impact
The study revealed that 60 per cent of surveyed women are grappling with outstanding debt, with the incidence being highest in Mansa (66 per cent), followed by Bathinda (60 per cent) and Sangrur (54 per cent). The average debt burden per family was Rs 3.8 lakh in Sangrur, Rs 3.75 lakh in Mansa, and Rs 3.5 lakh in Bathinda.
Caste-based data showed disparities in debt levels. Sixty-one per cent of respondents from the general category reported being under debt, with an average of Rs 4.91 lakh, compared to 59 per cent of Scheduled Castes (SC) respondents with Rs 1.17 lakh and 48 per cent of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) with Rs 1.6 lakh.
The study also found that married women were more likely to take loans for agriculture and building assets, while widows and separated women borrowed for health expenses, daily needs, or their children’s weddings. The average loan amount for agriculture was Rs 4.54 lakh for married women, Rs 3.5 lakh for separated women, and Rs 6.28 lakh for widows — indicating that widows often inherit their late husbands’ accumulated debts.
“Women in Punjab agriculture are mainly engaged in livestock rearing or as agricultural labourers,” said Dr Anupama. “They are denied ownership of productive assets, face limited access to institutional credit, and are excluded from equal participation in the agricultural sector. Lower-caste women are especially vulnerable, relying on debt even for basic consumption needs. Despite these challenges, there is minimal government or institutional support. Less than one per cent were found self-owning land or other assets such as house or farm machinery but are burdened to repay debt if their male family members commit suicide,” she added.
Stories of struggle
The study highlighted individual cases, such as that of Veerpal Kaur, 44, who lost her father, father-in-law, and husband to suicide due to debt. Married at 16, Veerpal struggled to educate her children and sustain her family after her husband’s death, all while battling exploitation and humiliation. Her perseverance led her to work multiple jobs, eventually securing a position as an anganwadi worker.
Similarly, Charanjeet Kaur, 40, works as a daily wage labourer after her husband’s suicide. She struggles under the burden of his debts, forcing her children to drop out of school. Another widow, Baljeet Kaur from Bathinda, lost her husband to suicide and was left with Rs. 14 lakh in debt. To repay it, she sold off farm machinery and now manages agriculture alone, but her son remains traumatised after discovering his father’s body.
Purpose of loans
The study revealed that 30 per cent of loans were taken for agricultural purposes, particularly in Sangrur (32 per cent). Other reasons included household needs (18 per cent), weddings (14 per cent), building assets (14 per cent), and health expenses (10 per cent).
Caste dynamics influenced borrowing purposes. General category families, who are predominantly land-owning, borrowed mainly for agriculture (43 per cent), while SC families borrowed for daily livelihood needs, health, and weddings. For weddings, general category respondents borrowed six times more than SC respondents.
Prevalence of violence
At least 53 per cent of women reported experiencing some form of violence, including physical, verbal, or emotional abuse. Domestic violence was the most common form, with 53 per cent admitting to experiencing it. Mansa reported the highest instances, followed by Bathinda and Sangrur.
The study found that verbal abuse was the most prevalent, with 86 per cent of victims facing it from husbands and 39 per cent from other household members. Physical violence by husbands was reported by 22 per cent of women, with alcohol consumption often cited as a trigger. Among widows, 46 per cent reported domestic violence, while separated women unanimously cited it as a cause of their marital breakdown. At least 56 per cent married women said they face domestic violence.
Education levels did not shield women from violence. Among those with no formal education, nearly 49 per cent reported experiencing violence. The proportion rose to 60 per cent for women with education up to the matric level, while even graduate and postgraduate women were not immune.
Caste-wise, 61 per cent of SC women reported experiencing violence, compared to 52 per cent of general category women and 31 per cent of OBCs. SC women in Mansa were the most affected (67 per cent), followed by Bathinda (61 per cent) and Sangrur (54 per cent).
Only 33 per cent of women sought help to address domestic violence. Most relied on informal support from family members (89 per cent), while 18 per cent approached village panchayats or friends. A mere 13 per cent filed police complaints.
Farmer suicides and compensation
During the survey, 31 households reported a suicide by any family member in the household, the highest in Sangrur. “However, only four households reported that they have received any compensation from the government. 27 out of 31 households i.e. 87 per cent did not receive any compensation for the suicide committed by their family members,” says the study.
The study underscored the bureaucratic hurdles that prevent widows from accessing aid. Charanjeet Kaur, for instance, has repeatedly sought compensation but continues to be ignored.
By : Divya Goyal , Indian Express