Empowering women in agriculture

I have read with interest the article titled “Waiting for Women Farmers’ Bill” by Hema Yadav which appeared in Business Line dated January 26.

The author has rightly referred to women’s exclusion from credit, extension services and market infrastructure.

There are two points in relation to this article which merit clarification. First, the Bill is a Private Members’ Bill introduced by me in the Rajya Sabha and not a Government Bill. Secondly, a woman farmer has been defined in the draft Bill as below:

Explanation: The term “farmer” will include, but not limited to, agricultural operational holders, landless cultivators, agricultural labourers, planting labourers, pastoralists, sharecroppers and tenants. The term will not include corporate entities operated by or involving farmers. In case of landless farmers migrating or moving from one State to another, if anyone stays in a State for at least six months, such person may be considered as a farmer in that particular State.

“Woman farmer” means and includes, irrespective of marital status or ownership of land, any woman who is a farmer as defined in subsection (c) of section 2 and includes

(i) any woman living in rural area and primarily engaged in agricultural activity, though occasionally engaged in non-agricultural activity; or

(ii) any woman living in urban or semi-urban areas and engaged in agriculture; or

(iii) any tribal woman directly or indirectly engaged in agriculture or shifting cultivation or in the collection, use and sale of minor or non-timber forest produce by virtue of usufructory rights.

Thus, the definition is comprehensive but the author is correct in pointing out that according to existing practices and policies agricultural credit is only calculated on the basis of land-holding and the potential for kharif and rabi crops. Thus, all landless people including women have a problem. Having other assets such as livestock or goats or hens does not entitle the person to credit, whether male or female.

Women’s status

So, despite the broader definition of agriculture accepted by FAO and others, which includes a host of activities apart from farming, in the Indian banking system, it is only farming that is equated to agriculture. Pastoralists have always raised the issue of common grazing lands and access to fodder, but they are denied any kind of entitlements.

The deplorable gang rape incident that occurred recently in Delhi has fortunately led to an examination of the state of gender justice and equity prevailing in our country in a broader perspective.

The Justice Verma Committee has emphasised the need for looking at the status of women in its totality. Nearly 40 crore women out of the total of 60 crore female population depend upon crop and animal husbandry, fisheries, forestry, agro processing and agri-business for their livelihood, yet are handicapped by their inability to obtain equal access to natural resources such as land and water because of male-biased laws. Therefore, it is exceedingly important that we re-examine the current status of women’s empowerment in the field of farming. This is the purpose for which I introduced the Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill is, however, yet to be discussed.

I congratulate the author for highlighting the need for women’s empowerment in the field of agriculture.

(The author is Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha).

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