The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
- The resolution received support from over 100 co-sponsors, underlining the global significance of women in agriculture.
- It aims to recognize women’s essential role in agriculture and raise awareness of challenges such as property rights and market access.
Significance of the UNGA Declaration (2026)
- Acknowledges the critical role of women in ensuring food security, economic growth, and sustainable agriculture.
- Offers an opportunity to:
- Mainstream gender equality in agriculture policy.
- Build resilient rural ecosystems.
- Amplify the voices of women farmers
Women in Agriculture
- Women contribute 60%–80% of food production in developing countries.
- In South Asia, women constitute 39% of the agricultural labour force.
- Despite forming a major portion of the workforce, only 14% of agricultural landowners in India are women; the NFHS data puts it even lower at 3%.
- 80% of economically active women in India are employed in agriculture.
Major Challenges Faced by Women Farmers
- Lack of Land Ownership → Impedes access to credit and institutional finance.
- Limited Access to Information & Technology → Fewer women own or operate mobile phones or access agricultural advisories.
- Inadequate Financial Resources → Microfinance and SHGs are helpful but insufficient for large-scale investments.
- Increased Climate Vulnerability → Women bear disproportionate burden due to climate-induced agricultural risks.
Government Initiatives to Support Women Farmers
- Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP): Enhances skills and access to resources.
- Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation: Offers 50%–80% subsidies on machinery to women farmers.
- National Food Security Mission (NFSM): Allocates 30% of its budget for women farmers in select states/UTs.
The ENACT Project – Assam
- Full Form: Enhancing Climate Adaptation of Vulnerable Communities through Nature-based Solutions and Gender Transformative Approaches.
- Implemented by: United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Government of Assam, funded by the Government of Norway.
- Location: Nagaon district, Assam.
Key Features
- Empowers smallholder women farmers to access climate-related information.
- Promotes flood-resistant rice varieties and nutritional local crops.
- Encourages livelihood diversification and community-based smart seed production.
- Delivers weekly climate advisories via mobile phones to over 300 women farmers across 17 villages.
- Establishes Climate Adaptation Information Centres for video conferencing and training.
Key Recommendations for improving the conditions of women in agriculture:
- Gender-responsive policy design and implementation.
- Collection of granular gender-disaggregated data for targeted solutions.
- Strengthening agri-value chains managed and owned by women.
- Expanding access to credit, market linkages, and technology.
- Promoting women’s collectives and self-help networks.
