Empowering Women in Agriculture for Food Security

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, with support from over 100 co-sponsors.

Insights from Indian Symposium

• Collaborative Dialogue: A symposium on women in agriculture, hosted by the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in India, brought together 200 participants from diverse sectors.
• Participation: The event saw active participation from the Government of India, contributing to six months of dialogue and policy reflections on empowering women farmers.

ENACT Project in Assam

• Nature-Based and Gender-Focused: The ENACT project (Enhancing Climate Adaptation of Vulnerable Communities through Nature-based Solutions and Gender Transformative Approaches) focuses on climate resilience and gender equality.
• Project Goals: Implemented in Nagaon, Assam, by the WFP and Government of Assam, the project empowers smallholder women farmers by enhancing access to climate-related information and decision-making capacity.
• Financing and Support: The initiative is financed by the Government of Norway, aligning with its goal to promote food self-sufficiency and strengthen women’s roles in food production.

Women’s Pivotal Role in Global Agriculture

• Global Food Supply: Nearly half the global food supply is produced by women, underscoring their immense contribution to food security worldwide.
• Dominant Producers: In developing countries, women are even more central, responsible for 60% to 80% of food production.
• Significant Labor Force: In South Asia, women constitute a substantial 39% of the agricultural labor force.
• Agricultural Backbone: In India, an overwhelming 80% of economically active women are employed in agriculture, solidifying their position as the backbone of the country’s farming sector.
• Feminization of Agriculture: This growing trend, where women comprise an increasing proportion of the agricultural workforce, particularly in developing regions, is termed the ‘Feminization of Agriculture’.

Challenges Associated with Women in Agriculture

• Land Ownership Gaps: Although 80% of economically active women in India are employed in agriculture, only 14% of landowners are women. The National Family Health Survey reports an even lower figure 8.3%.
• No Land, No Collateral: This critical lack of land ownership directly translates to no collateral for loans. Without land to offer as security, women farmers are severely hampered in their ability to access formal credit.
• Restricted Access to Resources: Consequently, women farmers struggle to access essential resources such as formal bank loans, government agricultural schemes, and modern farming technology.
• Limited Decision-Making Power: The absence of land ownership also significantly limits their decision-making power within the agricultural sphere and often within their households, perpetuating a cycle of disempowerment.
• Exclusion from Formal Credit: Without land titles, women farmers are effectively denied access to formal credit and loans from financial institutions. Land is typically required as collateral, and its absence creates a significant barrier.
• Difficulty Opening Bank Accounts: The lack of recognized land ownership can also lead to difficulty in opening bank accounts, further isolating women from the formal financial system and limiting their ability to save or receive payments.
• Poor Access to Technology: Without land, women often have poor access to crucial information and technology. 
  • This includes vital agricultural advisories, real-time weather updates, and essential market information, all of which are critical for effective farming.
• Exclusion from Decisions: The lack of land ownership directly translates to exclusion from significant agricultural decisions, such as what crops to plant, when to harvest, or how to sell produce. 
  • This undermines their agency and perpetuates their marginalized status.
• Limitations of Microfinance: While microfinance and self-help groups (SHGs) provide some access to capital, these loans are generally insufficient for major agricultural investments like purchasing machinery, improving irrigation systems, or adopting new, more productive technologies. 
  • They cannot compensate for the lack of access to larger, formal credit lines tied to land ownership.

Government Initiatives for Women Farmers

• Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana: This programme focuses on skill development and resource access enhancement for small women farmers.
• Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation: It offers 50% to 80% subsidies on farm machinery, encouraging the mechanisation of small-scale farming by women.
• National Food Security Mission (NFSM): The NFSM allocates 30% of its budget specifically for women farmers in selected States and Union Territories, promoting inclusive agricultural growth.

Impact of Climate Change

• Unequal Impact: Climate change disproportionately affects women farmers, not only by increasing agricultural risk exposure, but also by amplifying domestic responsibilities traditionally shouldered by women.
• Local Voices: “We are witnessing rapid weather changes. The new variety introduced can resist floods and survive underwater. 
  • We hope for a better harvest,” says Nirmali Bora Hazarika of Roha village, Nagaon, showcasing the role of adaptation technologies in everyday farming.

Community-Based Climate Adaptation

• Grassroots Models: Engaging women farmers enables the creation of replicable models for climate adaptation at the village and community levels, ensuring that solutions are locally relevant.
• Tech-Enabled Knowledge Sharing: The ENACT project delivers weekly climate and agricultural advisories to over 300 women farmers in 17 villages of Nagaon, using mobile-based communication.
• Information Centres: Climate Adaptation Information Centres enable video conferencing and meetings, facilitating real-time updates on agriculture and livelihood solutions for rural women.
• Scalable Impact: The project achieves scalable impact by integrating technical expertise, livelihood diversification, digital advisories, and social behaviour change practices.
• Multi-Level Collaboration: ENACT partners with State and district administrations, including Department of Agriculture, State Rural Livelihoods Mission and departments of Meteorology and Environment
• Technology and Knowledge Partners Academic and research institutions contribute by sourcing and supplying climate-resilient crop varieties, particularly those suited to flood-prone regions.

Way Forward

• Flood-Resistant Crops: The focus is on flood-resistant rice varieties, nutrient-rich local crops, and livelihood diversification to reduce climate vulnerability and ensure year-round income.
• Smart Seed Production: Women’s farmer groups are involved in a community-based smart seed production system, reinforcing both climate resilience and local sustainability.
• Data and Design: Policy frameworks must reflect the specific needs of women farmers. This includes the use of gender-disaggregated data to shape interventions that address:
  • Tool design
  • Financial access
  • Savings and credit behaviours
• Agri-Value Chains: There must be an emphasis on agri-value chains that are led and managed by women, supported by access to:
  • Financing
  • Information
  • Collective networks like women’s self-help groups
• Historic Opportunity: The declaration of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer is a pivotal moment to drive:
  • Resilient agricultural development
  • Gender equality
  • Recognition of women’s contributions to food security and economic sustainability

Conclusion

For sustainable agriculture and inclusive growth, it is imperative to support, recognise, and institutionalise the critical role played by women farmers across India and the world.