​Acknowledging Women’s When Gender Diversity in Foxnut Cultivation Makes More Productive

Foxnut (Euryale ferox) is considered an aquatic cash crop in India. It is one of the important states of India for the production of makhana. It is cultivated in several districts in North Bihar, where it is the main support for the livelihood of the poor people. Foxnut is mainly cultivated and processed by the fishing community. Studies on women in makhana production conducted in India and other countries concluded that women contribute far more to the production and processing. The involvements of women in growing foxnuts are impoverished and backward. Women with whole family members are occupied for generations and have acquired unique skills in processing which determines the quality of Makhana pop. Women also perform numerous labor-intensive activities such as weeding, collections, cleaning, drying, gradation, roasting, frying, popping, rubbing, storage and transportation. They also engaged in trading of guris and makhana pop and wages laborers for support in family income and livelihood.