Women’s participation in agriculture in Tamil Nadu represents both a vital contribution to rural livelihoods and a site of systemic marginalization. Despite accounting for nearly half of the agricultural workforce, women remain largely invisible in institutional frameworks that equate farming with land ownership—a domain dominated by men. This study employs a theoretical and analytical approach to examine women’s roles in Tamil Nadu’s agrarian economy, drawing on feminist political economy, empowerment theory, and intersectionality. Secondary data from the Census of India, National Sample Survey, and state agricultural policy reports are combined with case studies on self-help groups, millet revival movements, and Dalit women agricultural workers. Findings reveal key contradictions: women’s labour is visible but unrecognized, participation is high yet empowerment remains limited, and technological modernization often exacerbates exclusion. While welfare schemes and collective action initiatives provide some opportunities for agency, structural barriers in land rights, wage equity, and access to technology persist. The paper argues for a gender-just agrarian framework that integrates land reforms, recognition of unpaid labour, gender-sensitive technology, intersectional policy interventions, and climate-resilient strategies. Such reforms are essential not only for women’s empowerment but also for ensuring the sustainability of Tamil Nadu’s agrarian transformation.