Right of Women Farmers stressed at Oxfam India- ICAR-CIWA national symposium

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 24:

Oxfam India, in collaboration with ICAR-CIWA, organised a National Symposium on Women’s Land Rights and Access to Agri-resources & Services in Changing Development Scenario at ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (ICAR-CIWA), Bhubaneswar on from August 19 to 21.

The three-day national symposium discussed current scenario of women’s land rights in agriculture, deliberated on the constraints that women farmers are facing in access to and control over agri-resources and implications for agricultural growth and shared evidences and experiences on various aspects of women’s entitlements in agriculture under different policies and programmes.

First day of the event session was graced by Dr. Savita Singhal, Prof. Haryana Agriculture University, Hissar who deliberated in “Post-globalization challenges for women in agriculture” and K.K. Patnaik, Institute of Social Sciences, Bhubaneswar shared his views on ‘Women’s Right over Land – Agri Land – Issues and Challenges”.  The opening session was followed by presentations from ICAR scientists, expert from Ravenshaw College and civil society organizations like working group for Women and Land Ownership Gujrat.

The Inaugural Session on August 20 has experienced gracious participation of Chief Guest Dr. Narendra Singh Rathore, Deputy Director General, Agricultural Education-ICAR, and Guests of Honor Prof. Manoranjan Kar Vice-Chancellor, OUAT along with Dr. Ambika Prasad Nanda, Head CSR Tata Steel, Dr. Asha Hans Director, Sansristi, Dr. S.K. Srivastava Director, ICAR-CIWA and Mr. Akshaya Kr. Biswal Regional Manager, Oxfam India.

“Along with land rights, women should be given the adequate knowledge of farming and technology. Central Institute for Women in Agriculture under ICAR is 100% dedicated to empower women in agriculture,” remarks ICAR Dy. Director General  Narendra Singh Rathore.

The concluding day on August 21 chaired by Sri Aurobindo Behera Member of Board of Revenue Odisha to discuss on; ‘Women and land rights in the current development scenario’, policies and institutional mechanisms to improve women’s access to land, other resources and their impact on livelihood and agriculture, technology adoption and food security’, extension services and market linkages for women farmers, women’s access to credit and agri-inputs and alike.

“Our objective has been to bring all the stakeholders together working on the issue of land rights and women. The presentations made in the Symposium are very valuable and the models presented on women farmers are commendable and showing that women can do wonders in farming. Oxfam India has been working on the issue of small holder’s agriculture and believes that women’s empowerment comes not only from giving them the identity as farmers but also giving them their share of land and property rights”, underlines Oxfam India Regional Manager Akshaya Kumar Biswal on the need to address the issue.

Oxfam India is part of a global movement of dedicated people working hard to fight poverty and injustice. Oxfam India’s vision is to create a more equal, just, and sustainable world. The overarching vision of Oxfam India is “right to life with dignity for all”. Oxfam India will fulfil its vision by empowering the poor and marginalized to demand their rights, engaging the non poor to become active and supportive citizens, advocating for an effective and accountable state and making markets work for poor and marginalized people.

Oxfam India works in partnership with over 130 grassroots NGOs  in seven states to address root causes of poverty and injustice in the four areas of Humanitarian Response and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Economic Justice, Essential Services, Gender Justice focussing majorly on four social groups; Dalits, tribes, Muslims and women.