"I am the first woman farmer in my block who started cultivation 15 years back," said 45 years old Aisha Begum Khatoon of Hridaypur village in Ambedkarnagar district. When she picked up the hoe for the first time, all the villagers rebuked her for treading on a man's domain. However, she decided to move forward, despite all odds, in order to look after her three daughters and one son.
Her husband lives in the city and takes no interest in agricultural activities. She owns a mere half acre land, but by resorting to organic farming, she is able to provide bread and better to her family of five members. She is now able to produce more than 20 varieties of crops, thanks to organic farming, and has become a role model for other women farmers of her area. Aisha Begum is grateful to the Gorakhpur Environmental Action Group (GEAG), for teaching her multi-layer cropping patterns, as well as time and space management.
Organic farming has provided her with a sustainable and economically viable model of agriculture production. She is also involved with Ekta Self Help Group and is the President of NARI Manch (this forum provides agriculture related information to women farmers). She has also been successful in creating more than 250 self help groups. Now her husband and her other family members take pride in her work. The Uttar Pradesh state agriculture Minister, Mr Chaudhari Laxmi Narayan, awarded her recently, during the Kisaan Sansad (Farmers' Parliament), in recognition of her excellent work in agriculture production.
Women farmers, despite being one of the biggest labor forces in India, are still fighting for their rights and identity. In India more than 84 per cent of women are involved in agricultural and/or allied activities. The agricultural sector provides employment to nearly 4/5 of the total women work force in India. One third of the agricultural laborers are women and 48 per cent of the women farmers are considered self employed in the agriculture sector.
According to a study conducted by GEAG, in Uttar Pradesh, 70 per cent of the state's population is involved in agricultural activities, making it a food surplus state. Women family members of about 80% of small and marginal farmers are involved in agricultural activities.Yet land holding rights of women farmers are a mere 6.5 per cent out of which a majority of them (81 per cent) got their land after the death of their husband, while only 19 per cent got it from their mother's side.
Neelam Prabhat, State Coordinator, Aaroh Abhiyaan, (a campaign for the empowerment of women farmers and their rights) working in GEAG, Uttar Pradesh said, "despite the tremendous contribution of women farmers in agricultural sector ,they have always been marginalized and denied their rights, not only by their family and society ,but by the policy makers as well. In general, they are treated as the assistants of male farmers."
She further said, " According to a recent report published by The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 40 million people have been pushed into hunger this year mostly due to soaring food prices, and the number of undernourished people worldwide is approaching the 1-billion mark. We can reduce this number if we empower women farmers and give them land holdings rights and joint bank accounts with their husbands."
The total number of hungry people has risen to 963 million this year, up from 923 million last year. FAO has cautioned, in the latest edition of its global hunger report, that this number could rise further as a result of the ongoing financial and economic crisis. In view of this we should strengthen production in a comprehensive way and should give the rights, long over due, to women farmers. In this way they will become an asset, not only to their families but also to society and the entire country.
PermalinkSubmitted by rakib ahmad on Sun, 28/03/2010 - 15:14
Thanks Amit, for the inspiring story of a marginalised woman farmer in UP. I am working at grassroots level in Assam. Separation of land patta in favour of daughters sh be completed by fathers in their lifetime. 2ndly' Issuing landholding certificates by circle officers/ tehsildars in favour of woman sh be legally made mandatory, within say, 100 days of application. Due to lack of land papers, woman farmers find it difficult to form acceptable groups for subsidy.
Hajo is throbbing with the activities for sports of birds which is unique in its kind. On Magh Sankranti, thousands of people from across the north eastern region rush to the Haigriv temple premises to see this traditional fight of Bulibuli birds. Usually, its preparation began from mid December each year. Those willing to participants in the fight trap the birds from the nearby forest and keep them with care. The local residents further train up the tamed birds for fighting with each other.
Also on the eve of the day, these tamed birds are made addicted with alcoholic substances. But after the fight is over, these are freed again, say Balin Das, a local residence.
There is no...
Noted Karbi folk artiste, researcher, drum exponent, folklorist, playwright and writer Jor Singh Bey has been selected for the Bokul Bon Award for 2008 instituted by Bokul Bon Trust in memory of Assamese literary icon late Ananda Chandra Boruah. According to Bokul Bon Trust President, Samiran Bordoloi, the 52-year-old artiste from Wirwar Denterang village in Karbi Anglong district, has been espousing the cause of Karbi folk arts since 1982. Be wrote a book on the art of playing Karbi drum in 1999. He has also published an anthology of Karbi folk songs and written modern songs, plays, short stories and other articles.
The State Directorate of Cultural Affairs has nominated noted recitationist Pranab Bora and noted violinist Minati Khaund for the Silpi Divas Award this time. The Directorate will celebrate the Silpi Divas Centrally at the Rabindra Bhawan here on January 18. On the occasion, it has also organised competition among the school and college students to test their excellence in singing Jyoti Sangeet and reciting the poems of the Rup Konwar. The competitions will start sharp at 10 that day, said a press release of the Directorate.
Festive mood grips Assam as people across the state are celebrating the much vaunted Bhugali Bihu with much fanfare and extravaganza. The bihu began with the kindling of the meji at the break of the night to worship the fire god. Several sports and cultural programs are also being organised to mark the occasion. Despite stioff resistance by a section NGOs buffalo fights are reported from some rural area. Hajo, known for its fight of nightingale is all abuzz. Monday evening was the time for feast. Community feasts were organised by the people of all sections which lasted till midnight. Assam governor Lt Gen Retd Ajoy Kumar Singh, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi have greeted the people on...
Sensation still prevails in Umrangso a day after Black Widow militants killing five people including a girl near the Kopili Hydroelectric project. Police and para-military jawans are patrolling in the area but have failed to spot the militants. The militants opened indiscriminate fire outside the power generation project. Two security guards were also among those killed by the militants.
Assam Association, Mumbai has cordiall invites all to the Magh Bihu celebration on 19th January 2008, to be held at: Assam Bhawan, Opposite Centre One, Near Vashi Railway Staion. Th eprogram will start from 6 pm and will continue till 10 pm. The programs include: Annual General Meeting of the association, cultural program by ONGC colony teams, violin by Manas. Zee TV fame Bonjyotsna and Debojit Saha will take part in the event. There will also be a gala feast on the occasion.For further inormation, please contact Deepen Rajkonwar, General Secretary, Assam Association Mumbai, at: 9892114116.
ULFA continues its strikes with granade on Monday. The banned insurgent outfit has exploded a powerful grenade in Morigaon leaving two people injured in the evening. According to information, the explosion took place at around 7-15 in the evening in front of the zilla parishad office leaving four people injured. Besides, a scooter has been damaged in the blast. Immediately after the incident, the police arrived in the spot and started investigation.
The Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC), Bokakhat, earned Rs 30,03,155 in the year 2007, an increase of Rs 4,93,849 than the previous year. In the year 2006, the station got the third best station award of Asom. The station now earns almost an amount of Rs 11,000 per month from the commercial establishments including the canteen of the campus. The passengers of the station have also been greatly satisfied on the smooth conduct of the station. The station has only two buses from Bokakhat to Margherita. It requires a bus from Bokakhat to Guwahati. The station also needs two more drivers as it has been provided only four drivers including one who has taken a long leave since October last...
Assam’s law and order situation still remains volatile with militants killing two security guards at the Umrangsu based Kopili Hydroelectric Project on Monday morning. There are reports that these two guards have been gunned down while they were on duty. Police investigation is going on. Details are awaited.
Today is Uruka. Brisk preparations are afoot in the city to celebrate the Bhugali bihu with traditional fanfare and gaiety. The common people are left worried in the face of skyrocketing price hike while some others are cashing on in the unprecedented price hike.Assam is throbbing with activities to prepare for the uruka’s harvest festival. The scent of traditional Assamese laru, pitha and other recipes are all that say that Bihu is here.For Jyotsan Bora, Dheki is an inseparable from the Assamese. But it is going to extinct even in rural life. She said, but we are trying to continue this tradition”.But for a section of residents in the city, the Bihu shopping has some bitter...
Comments
Pages
Add new comment