In India, women make up about one-third of the agricultural workforce and nearly half of all self-employed farmer. Playing multiple key roles as farmers, wage earners, and entrepreneurs nearly 80 percent of women are engaged and depend on agriculture and allied sector acting as torch bearers for social, economic and environment transformation for the ‘New India. According to IMF research raising women’s participation in the workforce to the level of men can boost Indian economy by27 percent Most labour-intensive manual operations in agriculture such as cattle management, fodder collection, milking, threshing, winnowing, etc., are performed by women. Rural women play a vital role not only in crop planning and cultivation but also in high-value activities like horticulture, primary food processing, livestock rearing, fisheries and cottage industries. Despite their substantial contribution to agricultural and non-agricultural activities, rural women remain marginalized, facing a range of economic challenges that hinder their financial stability and social mobility. Gender wage gaps in rural labour markets is the major challenge, where women often receive lower pay than men for similar work. Access to financial resources and credit is another significant barrier for women in the rural informal sector. Additionally, deep rooted cultural and social norms in rural India reinforce gender roles, with women primarily responsible for domestic and care giving tasks, while men are typically expected to take on income-generating roles outside the home. As women play significant role in food production and household nutrition, directly impacting food security empowering and main streaming rural women through ensured access to resources, technology, education, health facilities, ownership rights and skill development will improve agriculture productivity and can bring paradigm shift towards economic growth and acts as a win-win strategy for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 zero hunger.

Keywords: Rural women, Gender wage gap, skill development, and sustainable development goals.