ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar organized Scientists-Stakeholders Interface on 19 October 2023

A Scientists-Stakeholders Interface on “Gender Mainstreaming through Government Schemes in Agriculture and Allied sectors for Empowering Farm Women” was organized on 19th October 2023 at ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture to mainstream women farmers and promote women empowerment in agriculture and allied sectors. Dr. R. C. Agrawal, Deputy Director General (Agril. Education), ICAR, New Delhi graced the occasion as Chief Guest through virtual mode. In his inaugural address, he highlighted the need for effective implementation of programmes and schemes providing financial assistance and livelihood opportunities to farm women for the growth in Agriculture and allied sectors. He suggested for research recommendations by ICAR-CIWA towards policy advocacy so that more women farmers avail the Government schemes.

Dr. Mridula Devi, Director, ICAR-CIWA, in her opening remarks extended a warm welcome to all the stakeholders from different organisations of Govt. & NGOs, FPOs and emphasized upon the creation of awareness through gender sensitization among govt. officials of implementing agencies and stakeholders for bridging the gender gap and missing links. She urged to the scientists and stakeholders for evaluation of the efficacy of the ongoing schemes and effective participation of women in the process of growth and modernization in agriculture and promotion of gender sensitive institutional and technological changes. Suitable recommendations for developing appropriate policy is required to facilitate availing input resources, credit, insurance and marketing services and augmenting productivity in Agriculture. The Director also stated that gender sensitive market corner is required for an enabling environment of farmwomen for effective marketing of their produces.

Dr. Biswanath Sahoo, Principal Scientist, ICAR-CIWA and Convener of the programme highlighted that strategic approach is required for proper implementation of Government schemes for which designing of a framework for collection of gender disaggregated data and working together in convergence mode with various govt. & non govt. agencies. The interface meeting comprised of technical session chaired by Dr. Anil Kumar, Principal Scientist in which senior officers from state line department viz., Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Fishery, APICOL, NABARD, ORMAS, OUAT deliberated in detail about the ongoing schemes in gender perspectives and shared their experience and views to streamline the govt. schemes in gender lens. The chief executive officers from various NGOs and FPOs and entrepreneurs in agriculture and animal husbandry across the state participated during the discussion. The salient recommendations emerged during the discussion in stake holder meeting are :