Ghazipur, Mar 19 (IANS): As the farmers' protest against the three new farm laws completes four months, the participation of women is gradually decreasing at the various protest sites on the Delhi borders as compared to the initial days.

However, the farmer leaders denied that the numbers have declined as they said that women are now busy in farming.

Rajvir Singh Jadaun, president of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), told IANS: "The number of women at the borders is less because they are not able to come here due to the repressive policies of the government."

"The government is using various tactics to stop people from coming to the protest sites. The roads leading to the protest sites have been closed. Despite all this, women are coming to participate in the protest. A lot of women have gone back for farming as the male members from the families are here at the protest," he said.

On the declining number of protesters at the protest site, Ghazipur border protest committee spokesperson Jagtar Singh Bajwa said: "The numbers are not declining at all. From the last three days, the number of participants is more than expected. They are not able to gather at one place because the day temperature has increased."

However, there are fewer women at the borders who are working as daily wage labourers or belong to a farmer's family.