October 16, 2020.
TAD NewsDesk, New Delhi: A commendable step by the Indian government has been to celebrate 15th of October as Women’s Farmers Day or Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas. It is a step forward to empower women in the field of agriculture.
Women have always been a significant part of the agriculture system since its inception. In India, around 80% of rural women depend on agriculture.
According to the data provided by Krishi Jagran, “Among the entire farming community, more than 30% of women are cultivators themselves, and more than 45% are the ones that serve as agricultural labourers.”
Despite their significant contribution to agriculture, women have always been sidelined and not given the due regard they deserve in the sector of agriculture. It is also depicted as a male-dominated area since times immemorial. As a result, women receive lesser pay than men as in most other sectors. Women also don’t get any encouragement for any endeavour they want to do in improving the system and hence have to resort back to become workers or labourers.
However, in the past several years, the scenario has started to change, and the idea of ‘womenpreneurs’ is getting prominence. Women have always been an indispensable part of the agricultural sector, but the difference is that society has started accepting it and giving significance to them gradually.
Women throughout the ages have proved their excellence in all the fields they have ventured in. And no doubt the potential to shine in the agricultural sector remains the same if given the proper means to rise. To provide aid to these women farmers, various government and private organisations have come up with different institutional setup. Government has initiated arrangements such as Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Prayojana (MKSP) etc. On the other hand, private organisations such as Project ‘Prerna’ are helping the women farmers with equipment and additional assistance of farming.
Some of the success stories of the country is inspiring other women farmers to join the agricultural sector.
Some prominent example which has become the touchstone is as follows:
- Two sisters in North India left government jobs to do organic farming.
- An engineer woman from the South left her job to work on hydroponics in the field.
- A girl takes care of her old parents and her four younger sisters by doing full-fledged farming.
There is considerable potential to improve the agricultural arena of the country if women are given equal regard and a share in the decision-making process. Women farmers and entrepreneurs have a bright future ahead in this field as they do in all the other areas.
Source: Krishi Jagran
