ABSTRACT
The women of Minakuppam, a small hamlet of ocean-going fishermen located just outside the city of Madras in Tamilnadu, India, are more active and less limited in their daily social activities and have more power than women in most Indian farming villages. This contrast is extended with evidence on women's status in fishing and agricultural communities in other predominantly agrarian societies. Several crucial features of political economy account for women's status in these communities. Participation of women in economic production and low status for fishing occupations in societal stratification are the major factors accounting for women's distinctive activities and relationships. These features of the political economy affect women's control and use of resources and their opportunities for social support from kin and other women.
