Empowering Women in Agriculture for Food Security, Pg8

Context:

• UN declares 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, supported by over 100 nations.
• Women contribute 60–80% of food production in developing countries but face barriers in land ownership, credit, and market access.
• In India, only 14% of agricultural landowners are women, despite 80% of economically active women being engaged in agriculture.
• Projects like ENACT in Assam, backed by Norway and WFP, aim to enhance women's resilience to climate risks via tech-enabled advisories.
• Government schemes like Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana and Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation support women farmers.
• Climate-smart practices like flood-resistant rice varieties and community-based seed systems show scalable models of resilience.
• Policy focus needed on agri-value chains, gender-specific financial tools, and granular data collection.

Detailed Insights

• The UN resolution and associated awareness efforts seek to acknowledge women's central role in agriculture, especially in ensuring household food security and sustainable farming.
• Women in Indian agriculture face systemic exclusion from land ownership, which affects their ability to access institutional credit, subsidies, and decision-making processes.
• The ENACT project in Assam, co-funded by the Government of Norway, exemplifies a nature-based, gender-transformative climate adaptation model by empowering women with timely advisories and training.
• The digital divide further limits women’s access to extension services, weather data, and farming innovations, curbing their potential as agri-entrepreneurs.
• Government initiatives try to bridge this gap through targeted budget allocations and machinery subsidies, yet scaling impact requires stronger institutional support and integration of women in value chains.
• Climate change intensifies the gender disparity, as women often take on additional unpaid responsibilities during extreme weather, making adaptive strategies more critical.
• Empowering women in agriculture is not just a gender issue—it has direct implications for food security, climate resilience, and rural development.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved

• Climate-Resilient Crop Varieties: Crops genetically or selectively bred to withstand environmental stress like floods or drought.
• Nature-based Solutions (NbS): Ecosystem-based approaches to adapt to and mitigate climate change while supporting biodiversity and human well-being.

Mains Mock Question:

“Empowering women farmers is essential not just for gender equality but also for ensuring food security and climate resilience.” Critically examine with examples.