The National Gender Resource Centre in Agriculture (NGRCA), Directorate of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare in collaboration of National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), an autonomous organization under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) has celebrated ‘Mahila Kisan Diwas’ or ‘International Rural Women Day’ on 15th October, 2022. As the year 2023 has been declared as the ‘International Year of Millets by United Nations (UN), the theme of this year Mahila Kisan Diwas is ‘Millets: Empowering Women and Providing Nutritional Security’. This inaugural event was organized through Video Conferencing under the guidance of Union Agriculture Minister Shri. Narendra Singh Tomar and the technical session of the programme is being organized at MANAGE, Hyderabad with the technical support provided by Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR), Hyderabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Tomar said, the resolution initiated by Government of India and supported by 72 countries to mark year 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’ has been unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and declared year 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets (IYOM)’. The Government of India has declared to celebrate IYOM, 2023 to make it peoples’ movement so that the Indian millets, recipes, value added products are accepted globally. The ‘International Year of Millets’ stands to provide a unique opportunity to increase global production, ensure efficient processing and consumption, promote a better utilization of crop rotations and encourage better connectivity throughout food systems to promote millets as a key component of the food basket. Shri Tomar stated the Government of India is committed to give priority to women for bringing them in the mainstream of agriculture development as per the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister of Atamnirbhar Bharat. He expressed that women are the primary producers of the food grains, custodians of biodiversity and millets are an important food grain from our indigenous food systems. Millet-based farming is the answer to cope with the changing time as Millet farming preserves biodiversity and empowers women farmers as cultivators to agripreneurs and self-employed women ; more confident in their abilities and are better able to address their problems. The government of India has also taken several initiatives focusing on empowerment of women keeping them in the center stage of development process. These initiatives include constitution of Self Help Groups, Farmer Producer Organizations producer companies and capacity building of women through training in various institutions like Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Kailash Choudhary in his address expressed his views on the important contribution of women farmers in agriculture and allied sectors and Indian economy and highlighted the importance of women in self-reliant India. The Minister said, the role of women in agriculture in India is huge and the government is giving priority to women in every field under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister. Due to the initiative of Hon’ble Prime Minister, United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Today, agricultural women farmers and entrepreneurs are making important contribution in various aspects of production, value addition, processing and nutritional security of millets and coarse cereals.
Shri Tomar released a book on depicting “Evidences based Gender Inequality in Agriculture and Food Systems in India” which will be helpful for the policy makers, academicians and researchers to focus on areas where the gender analysis is needed. The Senior and middle level extension functionaries, women farmers and agri-entrepreneurs and resource persons from various States/Institutes/Start-ups training institutes participated in the event and an exhibition was also showcased at MANAGE, Hyderabad by women Start-ups. The successful women entrepreneurs from various States also said their views and experiences on the occasion during the event.
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