The Maharashtra Legislative Council has unanimously approved the ‘Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026’. This groundbreaking legislation is aimed at providing women farmers with independent legal recognition, equal rights, and direct access to government agricultural schemes. Maharashtra is poised to become the first state in India to officially recognize and grant status to women farmers.
The bill’s passage followed a thorough debate in the Legislative Council lasting 3 hours and 33 minutes, where members from all parties shared their perspectives. Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane highlighted that the decision to grant legal status to women farmers stemmed from a meeting held during the International Year of Women Farmers.
Bharane emphasized that women farmers are not just helpers but equal partners in agricultural progress. The bill, crafted under the guidance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Ajit Pawar, aims to provide women farmers with dignity, rights, and equal opportunities.
According to the bill, eligible women will receive a ‘Women Farmer Certificate’ enabling them to access various government agricultural schemes, subsidies, loans, insurance, and market facilities. The legislation ensures that verified women directly involved in farming activities benefit from legal recognition as ‘women farmers’, fostering their self-esteem and active involvement in the state’s growth.
