Event: National Symposium on Women's Land Rights & Access in Odisha

Event: National Symposium on Women's Land Rights & Access in Odisha

Introduction 
According to Census of India 2011, 65.5% of economically active women in India are engaged in agriculture constituting about 37% of the total agricultural work force. Notwithstanding the gradual decline in the proportion of women workers in agriculture, the absolute number of women farmers in India has increased by about 62 million during 2001 and 2011. Therefore, the role of women in agriculture assumes considerable significance in the overall context of economic development. Moreover, women’s role in agriculture is poised for a greater change in view of the impending as well as emerging challenges and opportunities in agriculture. Therefore, recognizing women as an important human resource for agriculture and empowering them with due rights and entitlements form the core strategy for achieving higher, sustainable and inclusive agricultural growth. But the question remains, how to empower women when the available statistics speak volume of the poor condition of women farmers worldwide. They have less access than men to agriculture related assets, inputs and services. For example, only five per cent of current agricultural extension efforts and resources are directed to women and they invariably earn far lower wages than men for equivalent work. Had they enjoyed the same access to productive resources as men, women could boost yield by 20-30 %; raising the overall agricultural output in developing countries by two and a half to four per cent. This gain in production could lessen the number of hungry people in the world by 12-17%, besides increasing women’s income (FAO, 2011). While we talk of empowerment of women in agriculture, the discussion invariably focuses around access to and control of women over productive assets and their effective use for sustainable livelihood and income. Therefore, securing property rights including the land rights for women and providing them access to different agri-extension services and markets would go a long way in improving the status of women farmers. This, in turn, would make Indian agriculture more sustainable. It is, therefore, timely to undertake an exercise to assess the situation in respect of women rights, access and control in agriculture by drawing upon evidences and lessons from different parts of the country which might be useful in charting out more appropriate course of action for empowering women in agriculture. 

Against this backdrop, a National Symposium on Women’s Land Rights, Access to Agri-resources and Services in Changing Development Scenario’ is being organized by ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (CIWA)and Oxfam India with the participation of researchers, policy makers, development practitioners and women farmers from different parts of the country. 

Objectives 
•To discuss the current scenario of women’s land rights in agriculture.
•To deliberate the constraints that women farmers are facing in access to and Symposium Themes control over agri-resources and implications for agricultural growth.
•To share evidences and experiences on various aspects of women’s entitlements in agriculture under different policies and programs.

View Brochure

Visit ICAR-CIWA website.