Socio-economic dynamics of left-behind wives of farmers who committed suicide in Punjab Arora Priyanka1,*, Sharma Shalini2, Kaur Gaganpreet3 1Research Scholar, Department of Economics and Sociology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004 (Punjab) 2Prof. of Sociology, Department of Economics and Sociology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004 (Punjab) 3Asstt. Prof. of Sociology, Department of Economics and Sociology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004 (Punjab) *Corresponding Author's Email - priyanka-2065001@pau.edu
Online published on 3 May, 2025. Abstract Agricultural distress has been a major cause of farmer suicide in several nations, including India, the United States, Australia, and France. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports that 11,290 farmers committed suicide in 2022 across the country. One of the most neglected and vulnerable populations in rural communities are the left-behind wives of farmers who committed suicide. A number of variables, including demographics, social inclusion, and financial stability, affect their economic status. These widows frequently find themselves forced into informal labour or dependent on insufficient government compensation due to their economic struggles, which include debt burden, limited access to credit, restricted ownership of property rights, and loss of household income. The present study was undertaken with specific objective of understanding the socio-economic characteristics of left-behind wives of farmer who committed suicide. This study explores the socio-economic and psychological distress of farmer widows in Punjab, based on a primary survey in Bathinda, Mansa, and Sangrur. Using snowball sampling, data were collected from 240 households across 77 villages through structured interviews and case studies. The study highlights the socio-economic distress of farmers' widows in Punjab, with 42.08 per cent illiteracy, 79.17 per cent from Jat Sikh, the majority of respondents belonged to the marginal (50.42%) and small (36.67%) farming households. Early marriages were more common among the respondents. Over 55.83 per cent became household heads, and 87.09 per cent belonged to marginal and small farming families with an average of 1.06 ha operational land holding. Agriculture (62.28%) remained the primary source of income. The findings underscored the need for financial stability, land security, and income diversification to support these left-behind wives of farmers. Top Keywords Agricultural distress, Debt burden, Farmer suicides, Household income, Leftbehind wives, Psychological distress, Socio-economic distress. Top |