Empowering women in agriculture

To empower women farming community in India by making systematic investments and enhancing their participation by creating a sustainable livelihood for rural women, the Ministry of Rural Development has implemented a programme exclusively for women farmers namely, Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP).

In accordance with the terms of National Policy for Farmers (NPF) (2007), the Department of Rural Development provides funding support to the tune of up to 60% (ie. 90% for the North Eastern States) for such projects.

The guidelines for the DA&FW’s numerous beneficiary-oriented programmes also stated that states and other implementing agencies need to spend at least 30% of their budgets on women farmers.

Trainings are being imparted:

Training is being provided to women farmers under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Rural Development programmes in order to acquaint them with the latest practices in agriculture and associated areas.

About Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana:

The Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP), a sub-component of the Deendayal Antodaya Yojana-NRLM (DAY-NRLM), aims to improve women’s existing conditions in the agriculture sector and enhance the opportunities for empowerment.

MKSP acknowledges the identity of “Mahila” as “Kisan” and strives to increase women’s competence in the area of agro-ecologically sustainable practices. It has a clear mission to reach out to the poorest of the poor and to expand Mahila Kisan’s current portfolio of activities.

MKSP focuses on empowering smallholders to embrace climate-resilient agro-ecology and, thus creates a pool of competent community professionals.

The goal is to promote sustainable agriculture practices like Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture (CMSA), Non-Pesticide Management (NPM), Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), Pashu-Sakhi model for doorstep animal care services, and sustainable regeneration and harvesting of non-timber forest produce.

Need for feminization of agriculture:

In the majority of developing countries, including India, rural women are the most productive workforce. More than 80% of rural women rely on agriculture for their livelihood. Due to widowhood, desertion, or male emigration, around 20% of agricultural livelihoods are headed by women.

In India, the agricultural support system reinforces women’s rights as agricultural labourers and farmers but still, the majority of women-headed families lack access to extension services, farmer support organisations, and production assets like the seed, water, finance, and subsidies, among other things as they are paid much less than males as agricultural labourers.