Radha, a day wage labourer from Ratanpur, harvests sugar cane on someone elses land. She earns Rs.60 for seven hours work...In the north Indian state of UP (Uttar Pradesh), women are responsible for 70 to 80 percent of agricultural work but their contribution remains neglected at all the levels: family, social, economic and policy. Over three quarters of UP's households are involved in farming of which 91% percent operate on land that is marginal and small. Small and marginal farmers often lack access to major agricultural services, such as credit, extension, insurance, and markets...On October 15, 2005 a movement called AROH was launched campaigning for the recognition of women as farmers. A federation of women farmers popularly known as "Aroah Mahila Kissan Manch" has been formed in all the districts of Uttar Pradesh. AROH has begun lobbying the UP government for women to be registered as joint owners - with their husbands - of land. At present only 6.5% of women own land in UP. AROH encourages women's co-operatives and other forms of group effort with the idea that these allow for the dissemination of information relating to agricultural technology and other inputs, as well as for the marketing of produce...AROH have found that public sector investments are declining in the agriculture sector. Given the number of women who rely on agricultural work in UP, this this declining investment is of grave concern to the campaign. ..Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Ratanpur, Faizabad District, Uttar Pradesh. India.March 1st 2011