75 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE AND WOMEN IN INDIA VOLUME-II

Cotton harvesting is a laborious task performed mostly by women farm workers. Health hazards experienced by farm women while performing cotton picking activity and effects of pesticide application on the health of farm women. The present study was conducted in four villages of Parbhani and Beed districts of Marathwada region of Maharashtra State. Work related health problems and risk factors data was collected with the help of interview schedule cum questionnaire. Inflammation, skin rashes, acquiring cuts, scratching on the hand, climate caused illness, headache, stomachache, and fever were the main health problems due to pesticide exposure according to workers' experience. Medical treatment costs of health problems were more than double (2.48 times higher) than preventive measures costs.