Beyond ‘Mother India’: Women Farmers Seek Greater Recognition
NEW DELHI-Indian cinema, through generations, has celebrated motherhood and women’s role in agriculture and dairying through productions such as ‘Mother India’ (1957) and ‘Manthan’ (1976), among others. In real life, however, their contribution has often received less recognition despite their multiple roles in farming and household responsibilities.
Today, their role in strengthening family incomes, participating in farm management and decision-making, dairy production and rural handicrafts is receiving greater recognition. In this context, the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), an RSS-affiliated farmers’ organization, is holding its first-ever national conclave of women farmers on September 30, highlighting women’s role in agriculture.
According to the BKS, the conclave seeks greater representation of women in agricultural policymaking and recognition of their contribution to farming, livestock and fisheries. The organization has said women undertake 60 to 80 per cent of agricultural activities in India, including sowing, planting, harvesting, weed control and animal husbandry.
Yet, agricultural policy discussions, farmers’ organizations, market committees and cooperative leadership structures continue to have limited representation of women, according to reports cited in the context of the conclave.
The BKS has linked the initiative to 2026 being declared by the United Nations as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. The objective is to address persistent gender gaps in areas such as land rights, finance, technology, education and decision-making.
The United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization have highlighted the essential role women play across agrifood systems while pointing to persistent inequalities that limit their access to resources, productivity, wages and leadership opportunities. FAO noted that women accounted for about 40 per cent of the global agrifood workforce in 2021.
According to the official Agriculture Census, women operate more than 20.4 million agricultural holdings, representing about 14 per cent of all operational holdings in India.
The Ministry of Rural Development reported that more than 10.05 crore women had been mobilized into over 90 lakh Self-Help Groups. The network has helped expand access to savings, credit, entrepreneurship and collective action. (IANS)
