Jaipur, India – When you whiz through cultivated farms in India, you see women hard at work in the harshest or sweetest of weather. Ever non-complaining, but can’t say if complacent or not. Perhaps, we have not given her enough reason to be one. She will do balancing all the time with fields and crops on top of the list of her daily chores.
And she is not referred as a farmer, but just a caretaker. It’s high time that we change frames and become women centric immediately, at least for a sector which is practically women-driven, but visibly otherwise because of our failure to weigh her involvement with farm practices. She may be just 32.8% of primary worker in farm sector but between 80-100 million in various roles in agriculture. Clearly, she works harder, tougher, and longer in farm fields.
Our farm and land policies appear to be in tune with ground realities but we have yet to create an enabling environment to bring into the fold all those women who deserve deep attention now. It’s heartening to see that she is getting represented a little better with conscientious efforts of sensitized people at the helm of policies or opinion making.
When one gets to meet farmers from rural India, like Kamla and Asha, one listens with rapt attention as they speak with authority on a whole range of agriculture issues and hands on experiences as farmers. We must also know their stand on hard core agriculture issues of seed selection, farm loans, subsidies, crop compensation, irrigation, harvest methods, farm produce market etc. more than ever. They are no less insightful about major policy implementation gaps.
Goal seven of India’s ‘National Agriculture Policy’ underlines mainstreaming of human and gender dimension in all farm policies and programs. In first ever ‘National report on Status of Indian Women’ in 1974 (title ‘Towards Equality’) agriculture was highlighted as biggest employer and female farmers were identified as a class doubly burdened during the peak time of harvest.
Another report (‘Shram Shakti’ ie Power of Labor) in the 90s, a first ever on India’s women workers in unorganized sectors, recognized the fact about women working in farm sector bearing or sharing most of the burden. Despite that, the female farmer is missing from the larger national discourse on agriculture and the market has also ignored her needs entirely.
This must be perhaps first time that a dozen farmers were awarded with the highest civilian honor (Padma Shree) in India and two among these are female farmers.
Rajkumari Devi from Bihar, who developed small farm business breaking all taboos to sell her farm and cottage products on a bicycle and came to be known as Kisan Chachi (farmer aunt), and another hailing from Odisha, an old tribal farmer Kamla Pujari preserving local varieties of paddy and dissuading the villagers using chemical farming and showcasing skills and benefits of organic cultivation. ‘She farmers’ always had intelligence to change the agro dynamics on the ground, and by example she leads, by passion she wins. Earning an identity of a farmer has also to do with her legal title for the farm land.
Women farmer’s entitlement bill 2011 was introduced in Indian Parliament but never got passed, yet we must talk about it in public debates. Responding to a query in Indian parliament in 2018, the Government of India mentioned 2011 census recognizing 3.60 crore (36 million) women as ‘cultivators.’
Clearly, these are not counted as ‘farmers’ though ‘National Policy for Farmers – 2007’ expanded definition of ‘farmers’ to persons actively engaged in the economic and/or livelihood activity of growing crops and producing other primary agricultural commodities and include all agricultural operational holders, cultivators, agricultural laborers, sharecroppers, tenants, poultry and livestock rearers, fishers, beekeepers, gardeners, pastoralists, non-corporate planters and planting laborers, as well as persons engaged in various farming related occupations such as sericulture, vermin culture, and agroforestry.
Apparently, legal range is wide and all inclusive. Following the conferment of land rights to women under the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, the provision of appropriate support services to women farmers has become all the more urgent. Joint land ownerships deeds for both homestead and agricultural land are essential for empowering women to access credit and other services.
Land ownership of women will have far reaching societal impacts and help track some critical issues like farmer suicides. As per ‘National Crime Record Bureau’ (NCRB) of India, year 2015 witnessed 7566 suicides by male farmers, 441 were by female farmers while suicide by agriculture labour were 4018 by male and 577 by females.
Looking at the distribution of reasons for suicides among female farmers NCRB – 2015 would show clearly that significantly high proportion of 101 out of 472 were because of crop failure, 101 from farm problems, 97 family issues, 49 from crop loans, 51 because of bankruptcy or indebtedness, 58 marriage related and 40 for dowry reasons.
But this all does not portray the true picture as her death will never be put on records unless she earns legal status as a farmer. If more statistics must mean more clarity, ‘National Family Health Survey of India – 2016’ (NFHS) measured land ownership for the first time and shows eastern state of India, Manipur tops the list where 69.9% women own property followed by Bihar where 58.8% women own land and West Bengal with just 23.8% has least number of women with land in their name.
The five yearly Agriculture Census 2010-11 gives us some relief showing that the share of female operation holders increased marginally and it also emphasizes need to look into the holding or area distribution among different sizes, categories, social groups and gender for micro planning.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardren’s idea of running her nation by ‘Well Being budget” to gauge long term impact of policy on quality of people’s lives could be a good approach to have ‘she farmer’ emerging as a visible forerunner of the agro economy now.
Dr Shipra Mathur
Dr Shipra Mathur is the Consulting Editor.
Academic Background:PhD(Journalism), First candidate in Rajasthan to clearUGC - NETin Journalism year 1997,MJMC(Gold Medal), BJMC -President University Dept Student Union, MA(English Lit),BSc(Bio) – Vice President College Student Union, Diploma (Violin)
Fellowships/Scholarships:IVLP(3 weeks International Visitor’s Leadership Programme invite, US State Department, 2017);Media Strategies for Social Change(3 weeks programme invite Israel Agency for International Development Cooperation – MASHAV, 2013); Sacred Groves (2 year fellow Ministry of Cultural Affairs, 2010)
Action Campaign Editor (National):A unique designation which she chose for herself with role in decision making and breaking glass ceiling. With 20 years in Journalism (half in academia half in active journalism), she is now leading innovative - collaborative solution driven Journalism. Her key role is to plan News Campaigns, innovate for new approaches, take up issues; build linkages for Action and Impact. She has always followed unbeaten track with beginning phase as reporter then founding media departments in university affiliate colleges, later taking crucial role for launching evening newspaper, founding journalist training division of a media house, and now in her most crucial role since 2009 as founder of a division called Media Action Group (MAG) (www.mediaactiongroup.in)in the newspaper group embedded into core editorial. Her focus remains voiceless people, inspirational work, collaborative approach and people engagement to lead with passion and compassion. She has also been reaching out to grassroots people through speeches and her media programmes/platforms to help each of them become Changemaker. She is recipient ofWomen Icon Award – 2015and recentlySriphal Award – 2016for Public Service Journalism andInnovation Award- NIF, 2014. On the board of Amity University (JMC School), SWARAJ grassroots organization and many more.
Consulting Editor: India America Todaywww.indiaamericatoday.com
TV Show(Weekly) conceptualized, named and presented by her#SOULgersfor Patrika Rajasthan TV. This is with a purpose to cover work and philosophy of people who listen to their soul, walk on unbeaten path and work like a soldier.
As resource person had opportunity to share experiences on invitation of FICCI, CII, UN Women, UNFPA, UNICEF, IIM-A, RMP, ISKON, Artha, Skoll, CSO/VO consultations/ trainings, UNESCO, PLAN International, Govt of India platforms, Print Media Houses (esp Regional Language newspapers) and other discussion forum to propagate the idea of Public Service Journalism and to share about Empathy, Importance of Meaningful Work, Public Education, Collaboration and Change.
She foundedPENmedia foundation to build dialogue for better ways of People’s Engagement with News world. She is also Founder Secretarywww.krishnalimb.comdeeply involved with a cause to support Disabled (amputee animals) by installing Prosthetic (Artificial Limb – KRISHNA Limb) as service (non - profit).www.facebook.com/krishnalimb
Area of WorkShe has done major work for the benefit of the underprivileged, voiceless, marginalized or deprived community. Her major achievements have been in the areas of Right to Education; Democracy Drives during assembly and general elections (won National Media Award by President of India); Civic Engagement for Expression of Development ideas and Initiatives; Street Vendor Policy; Camel Trafficking, Gender Issues including female foeticide (won Gender Media awards for Teams at different editions), Sex Selection (she represented her state before Prime Minister of India’s dialogue with Women Sarpanch (8thMarch 2017 showcasing remarkable improvement in sex ratio), Child Marriage, Female Voices; Inclusion, Empathy and Accessibility for People with Disability, Environment Conservation; Awareness and Access to Ayurveda; Hindu Refugees (Religious Persecution) and Govt Schools among others. Govt School and Gender campaign (engaging more than 200 civil society groups) is closest to her heart with huge impact – policies, mind sets and practices. All these issues have been taken in campaign mode with critical engagement of all the stakeholders. It was always an ecosystem which operated underneath with experts, development sector, social workers, social jurists, active citizens and sometime the actual sufferers or beneficiaries also, which added desired direction and force to all what she undertook. She always took driver’s seat and designed ways, decided nomenclature, planned steps, facilitated engagements, offered slant and edited stories and fanned public movement keeping her teams in the fore front. Now writes only when it boils within and if it at all supports the cause, else invisible force is what she prefers to remain as.
In past 2 years she has built a dialogue forum calledKEYNOTE Idea Festfor Patrika mentoring and curating it for different editions and suggesting/inviting people who have worked with profound sense of commitment and who inspire with their work or thoughts.
Impact Campaigns(her brain child) in past years: Neenv, Ahsaas, Laado, Tabran ro Byaav, Bitiya Bachao, Vision – 2025, Vajood, Bitiya Padhao, Vanshalika Betiyan, Aao Padhayen Sabko Badhayen, Feri Walon par Fanda, Doob Raha Jahaaz, Ayushmaan, Live Park, Gamechangers