The Hindu Business Line : Virtual congress for women farmers launched

Visakhapatnam, Jan. 5 The first national virtual congress for mahila (women) farmers, organised at the Indian Science Congress in Andhra University, adopted a nine-point charter for their welfare on Saturday.

The Congress, jointly organised by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and the Indian Space Research Organisation, was inaugurated by Ms Renuka Chowdhury, the Union Minister of State for Women and Child Welfare.

Dr Swaminathan said title to land was of the utmost importance to enable women in agricultural sector to get access to kisan credit cards and institutional credit. Credit should be ensured to women both in their individual capacity and as members of self-help groups. Micro finance mechanisms should be strengthened.

Support services

Support services such as crèches should be provided to women in farming and access to quality inputs should be ensured. It was also necessary to meet the needs of mixed farming. Assured and remunerative marketing and reduction in drudgery were the other requisites.

He said that though many of the points may be common for both men and women in farming, it was necessary to take special care of women and to end all discrimination.

He said Krishi Vignan Kendras should also take up special training programmes for women in farming. He also sought special insurance schemes for rural women.

Special scheme

Ms Chowdhury said the general impression was that farmers were mostly men. “In fact, most of the agricultural operations are carried out by women. We are formulating a special scheme to take care of the health of rural women.” .