Home Science Extension as a Pathway to Rural Women’s Empowerment: A review

Abstract

Rural women play a pivotal role in India’s agricultural and household systems, contributing
substantially to farm labour, food processing, nutrition management, and family care. Despite
this contribution, they continue to face structural constraints related to access to education,
extension services, productive resources, markets, and decision-making power, resulting in
persistent economic, nutritional, and social vulnerabilities. Home science, as an applied and
interdisciplinary discipline, offers a holistic framework to address these challenges by
integrating nutrition, health, food processing, family resource management, and livelihood
development. In India, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) serve as the primary grassroots extension
institutions delivering home science interventions tailored to rural women.