Maharashtra Assembly Passes Landmark Bill Granting Legal Status To Women Farmers

Mumbai, July 2, 2026: In a landmark move aimed at empowering women in agriculture, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026, making Maharashtra the first state in the country to grant women legal recognition as independent farmers.

The legislation seeks to ensure that women engaged in agriculture receive equal rights and access to all government welfare schemes, irrespective of land ownership. The Bill was passed after an extensive discussion in the Assembly, during which members across party lines offered suggestions and expressed unanimous support.

Legal Recognition For Women Farmers

Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane said millions of women in rural Maharashtra have been contributing to farming and allied agricultural activities for decades but were denied legal recognition as farmers. Since many government schemes require land ownership as an eligibility criterion, women actively involved in cultivation were often excluded from benefits.

"The objective of this legislation is to bridge that gap by providing women farmers with dignity, legal recognition and equal opportunities," Bharane said.

The Bill provides for the issuance of a Women Farmer Certificate to eligible beneficiaries. The certificate will enable women farmers to avail themselves of government agricultural schemes, subsidies, crop insurance, concessional bank loans, agricultural extension services, marketing support, government procurement facilities, warehouse services and other financial assistance.

The government clarified that the benefits under the law will be available only to eligible women directly engaged in agricultural activities and not to individuals with no connection to farming.

State Fund Proposed

The legislation also proposes the establishment of the Maharashtra State Women Farmers Fund, which will pool resources from various Central and State government schemes to support the overall development of women farmers.

Detailed rules for implementing the fund are expected to be framed within the next six months. The scheme will cover eligible women farmers in rural areas across the state, excluding municipal corporation and municipal council limits.

Expanded Definition Of Agriculture

Significantly, the Bill expands the legal definition of "farmer" and "agriculture" to include not only conventional farming but also allied sectors such as animal husbandry, dairy farming, poultry, fisheries, beekeeping, sericulture, organic farming, mushroom cultivation, agroforestry, forest produce collection, leased farming, landless cultivators and agricultural labourers.

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The government said the legislation would provide legal identity to lakhs of women who were previously recognised only as farm labourers or landless workers, ensuring greater participation in the state's agricultural development while enhancing their social and economic status.

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