Achieving Gender parity has become a great concern for the world today. It is considered as a part of development strategy in many countries. When all people- both men and women have equal access to services and resources, enjoy equal rights, and get equal opportunity to develop capabilities without any bias or preferences , then the development of the country would be faster. It strengthens countries' abilities to grow, to reduce poverty, and to govern effectively. Despite considerable efforts in advocacy, creation of awareness, different strategies and programmes, Gender discrimination remains pervasive in many dimensions of life-worldwide. Though the nature and magnitude of the discrimination vary from country to country, in no part of the world gender parity is completely achieved in legal, social and economic fronts. Gender gaps are widespread in access to and control of resources, in economic opportunities, in power, and political voice. Women are still exploited, discriminated, and subject to harassment and violence. Again in the current years the focus has been changed from women empowerment to gender development. The former is a mean but not all for gender parity. In this perspective an edited volume covering the various dimensions and strategies of gender development is highly imperative. Rural women are mainly employed in agriculture-its allied activities and agro-based enterprises. There exists a glaring gender bias in terms of ownership , nature of works assigned, wages payment ,freedom in choice of work. Though the women contribute a significant proportion of agricultural production, they are discriminated, ill-paid and their role is largely neglected. There is a need for an appropriate legal-institutional frame work, change of societal attitude, and supported mechanization of agriculture on the need of lessening drudgery activities and work-stress for women, in reducing gender disparity in agriculture sector and sustainable development. Similarly the women, nearly half of the total population, are ...
