International Day of Rural Women

Subject – Agriculture

Context – International Day of Rural Women – October 15

Concept –

Over 70 per cent of rural women in India are engaged in agriculture.
Women carry out a large portion of the farm work as cultivators and agricultural labourers. Yet, in most instances, they are not even counted and recognised as farmers.
Millions of rural Indian women also shoulder the domestic work burden, a job that is undervalued and unrecognised economically.
The contributions of these women, often overlooked, play a pivotal role in creating food security that sustains rural communities.
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center’s (CIMMYT) CSISA project (Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia) facilitated maize cultivation for farmers.
- The aim was for them to make maximum use of the land all year-round and to move beyond personal consumption towards commercial production.
- CIMMYT’s CSISA project began its sustainable intensification programme in some parts of Odisha’s plateau region in early 2012.
- During the initial phase, maize stood out as an alternative crop with a high level of acceptance, particularly among women farmers.