Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas: Empowering Women Farmers, Shaping India's Agricultural Landscape

In today's society, both men and women are working tirelessly to drive the economy forward. In recent years the number of women working in different fields has also increased including Agriculture, Manufacturing, Industrial sector, Service sector and many more. According to a report by Statista, 64.3% of the agricultural workers and 11.1% of the manufacturing workers are women. Maharashtra is the leading state in which rural women are contributing the most in agriculture, it’s around 88.46%. Followed by Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu are some other states with a large share of female farmers in agriculture.

To recognize the hard work and contribution of female farmers in agriculture and its allied sectors, our country celebrates ‘Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas’ every year on October 15. 

Success Stories of Women Farmers

On this Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas, let's introduce you to some of the admirable women in the field of agriculture, who are not only contributing to our economy but also doing the work of societal upliftment. 

Anitha Nanda: Anitha Nanda is a 61-year-old coffee farmer from Coorg, Karnataka. She has a strong community involvement and till date she has empowered more than 400 women. She also helped in conserving the rich biodiversity of the Coorg region. For Anitha, farming is beyond merely producing coffee; it’s a commitment to protect the environment for future generations. She is running a highly profitable coffee business along with her husband by using sustainable farming methods. They primarily produce robusta and arabica coffee along with areca and pepper.

Anitha is an active member of Biota Coffee FPC, an Indian producer organization, and she also serves as the secretary of the Codagu Women’s Coffee Awareness Body (CWCAB). This group, started in 2002, helps women coffee farmers promote eco-friendly farming practices and spread awareness about the benefits of drinking coffee. She has stated that "We started this group when coffee prices were very low. Now we have 400 members who support each other and promote coffee."

Shubha Bhatnagar: Shubha Bhatnagar is a 64-year-old woman, involved in indoor saffron farming. She with the help of her family ran a successful saffron business named ‘Shubhavni Smartfarms’ in the district of Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh. Shubha’s family researched ways to cultivate saffron indoors with the help of Aeroponics which is a modern farming technique that allows crops to grow without soil in a controlled environment.

Shubha’s saffron farming and her deep desire to help women of her community enabled her to provide livelihoods to many women. Many women in her area worked in the fields or struggled to make ends meet due to their families' financial situations. Shubha’s venture provided an opportunity for them to earn a stable income without engaging in any physically taxing labor.

Divya Rawat: Divya Rawat also known as ‘the Mushroom lady’ is a young social entrepreneur from the state of Uttarakhand. She is a visionary who has transformed lives and redefined the concept of rural development. Her venture has provided a viable livelihood for about 15000 families in Uttarakhand.

Divya transformed empty houses in Kandara village into mushroom cultivation centers with an initial investment of Rs. 15,000 and now she has transformed her enterprise into a multi-crore business in just 12 years. 

Divya's vision aims for a wider societal influence. She has established a platform that supports more than 15,000 families, helping them become entrepreneurs. She strongly believes that economic independence can disrupt the cycle of poverty and exploitation.

Government Initiatives and Schemes for Women Farmers

Government launched many different schemes, initiatives and policies to empower our female farmers and for the betterment of their financial conditions. Some of the Policies and schemes are:  

• Mahila Kisan Yojana - This scheme offers loans to qualified women from Scheduled Castes to enhance their economic status through self-employment opportunities in agriculture and related fields.

• Mahila kisan Sashaktikaran Yojana - This scheme is a sub-component of a scheme called ‘Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY-NRLM)’. The Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Yojana supports women farmers by providing skill development, financial assistance, and resources for self-employment in agriculture, which improves their economic status and livelihoods.

• Namo Drone Didi initiative - Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the 'Namo Drone Didi' initiative, set to provide 15,000 women Self Help Groups (SHGs) with drones for agricultural rental services from 2024 to 2026.

• Lakhpati Didi scheme - The Lakhpati Didi scheme provides a comprehensive strategy for economic empowerment by implementing various financial tools aimed at improving credit access, fostering entrepreneurship, and promoting financial inclusion for women Self Help Groups (SHGs) and individual entrepreneurs nationwide.

Indian Government and some non-profitable institutes and organizations are working for the upliftment of our female farmers. They are recognizing their hard work and strong dedication towards agricultural practices by organizing various events and awards. Some of them are -

• Nari Shakti Puraskar: This esteemed award acknowledges the remarkable contributions of women in various fields, including agriculture, emphasizing their vital role in rural development.

• Mahila Kisan Awards: These awards celebrate women farmers for their innovative methods and contributions to sustainable agriculture, highlighting their accomplishments at both local and national levels.

• Women Farmer of the Year Award: Various state governments and agricultural departments present these awards to commend exceptional women farmers for their innovative farming techniques.

By empowering women farmers, we not only uplift communities but also strengthen the foundation of India's agricultural growth, ensuring a brighter and more inclusive future.