Skip to main content

The unsung architects of food security: India's rural women demand recognition

​By Raj Kumar Sinha* 
​The first struggle for every woman, before she can raise her voice in society or resist in public spheres, begins at home. Over the past few years, marginalized communities—be they women, Dalits, or Adivasis—have been stepping forward assertively to fight for their rights. A major strength of these movements is their model of collective leadership, rather than individual heroes, with women playing a major role.
The primary objective of the International Day of Rural Women is to recognize and honor the contributions of women in rural areas to agriculture, food security, natural resource management, and rural development. The United Nations General Assembly formally established this day on October 15, 2007, following a proposal at the 1995 Beijing Women’s Conference. Being celebrated one day before World Food Day (October 16), it underscores the crucial role rural women play in food production and security.
​Rural women constitute approximately 43% of the global agricultural labor force. They are the backbone of farming, livestock rearing, water harvesting, seed conservation, and local food systems. Despite their tireless efforts, they often lack equal access to land ownership, education, healthcare, credit, and technology.
​In India, this day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of women farmers (Mahila Kisan), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), rural entrepreneurs, and voluntary organizations. India has made numerous constitutional, legal, social, and economic efforts towards women's empowerment. The Constitution guarantees women equal rights and opportunities, such as Article 14 (equality before law), Articles 15(1) and 15(3) (prohibition of gender-based discrimination), Article 16 (equal opportunity in public employment), Article 39(a) and 39(d) (livelihood and equal pay for equal work), and Article 42 (maternity relief and just work conditions).
​Key legislation like the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (amended in 2017) have been enacted to protect women's rights and safety. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments mandate one-third reservation for women in Panchayats and municipal bodies, with several states increasing this to 50 percent. Furthermore, the Women's Reservation Bill, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), passed by the Parliament, will ensure 33 percent reservation in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies after the next census and delimitation exercise.
​Women are the most critical link in the context of food security. They are pivotal not only in producing food but also in balancing storage, processing, nutrition, and consumption. They are actively involved in sowing seeds, weeding, harvesting, animal husbandry, vegetable farming, and dairy work.
​Many rural women conserve traditional seeds essential for local food diversity and organic farming. Several women farmers run organic farms, kitchen gardens, and community seed banks, contributing to both food security and environmental balance. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that if women were given the same resources as men, agricultural yields could increase by 20–30 percent, reducing the number of people suffering from hunger. This knowledge is proving vital for future food supply and climate change resilience.
​According to 'The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World' Report 2024, India has the highest number of undernourished people globally, affecting 195 million. Furthermore, the UN Food Waste Index Report 2024 highlights that 19 percent of the total annual food production—about 1.052 billion tonnes—is wasted globally, while 783 million people go to bed hungry. Therefore, all food security schemes, including the Public Distribution System (PDS), must be transformed into universal and decentralized systems of local production, procurement, storage, and distribution.
​Approximately 70% of India's total female population resides in rural areas. Under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, over 80 million women have joined Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Relief from the chore of collecting firewood or fetching water has allowed women, especially in rural areas, to engage more in agriculture and allied sectors. Women constitute 55% of Jan Dhan account holders, providing them access to banking facilities and credit. As of March 2023, the Stand-Up India scheme has disbursed ₹40,710 crore in loans, with 80% going to women entrepreneurs, promoting economic independence.
​In Madhya Pradesh, with a total population of 72.7 million, over 52.5 million people live in rural areas, including 25.4 million women and 27.1 million men. Currently, the state has over 500,000 active SHGs, with approximately 6.2 million women members. So far, ₹648.67 lakhs has been disbursed as a 2% interest subsidy to 30,264 women groups and 12,685 women entrepreneurs.
​The Ladli Bahna Yojana is providing financial aid of ₹1551.86 crore monthly to 12.7 million sisters' bank accounts. Under this scheme, over ₹35,329 crore has been provided to 12.7 million women so far. Additionally, over ₹882 crore has been provided to 2.5 million women for gas cylinder refills at ₹450. This scheme is not only economically empowering women but also encouraging savings within their families.
​Despite economic progress, traditional social taboos discourage women from participating in salaried work, restricting them to the domestic sphere. On the other hand, NCRB reports indicate a continuous rise in crimes against women in Madhya Pradesh, with the state ranking third in rape cases nationwide. In 2023, 468 dowry death cases were registered, alongside thousands of cases of domestic violence and harassment. Madhya Pradesh is among the top states for crimes against women.
​The Global Gender Gap Report 2023 ranks India at 127th out of 146 countries in economic participation, pointing to severe inequality and gender biases. According to the Economic Survey 2023, over 90% of women workers are considered unemployed, indicating a lack of available work. The National Crime Record Bureau Report for 2022 shows that over half of the women who committed suicide between 2020 and 2022 were homemakers. Despite government efforts, most women are employed in the unorganized sector, lacking permanent employment, fair wages, and social security.
​While maternal and child mortality rates have declined in rural areas, they remain higher than in urban areas. Anemia and malnutrition are significant problems among rural women. Lack of access to health services, clean water, and sanitation are also serious concerns. Social evils like child marriage, domestic violence, dowry, and gender-based discrimination still persist.
---
*​Bargi Dam Displaced and Affected Association

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan   M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.
Post a Comment
»

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”
Post a Comment
»

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai*  The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.
Post a Comment
»

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.
Post a Comment
»

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.
Post a Comment
»

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

​ By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  ​The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.
Post a Comment
»

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan*  An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...
2 comments
»

'Batteries now cheap enough for solar to meet India's 90% demand': Expert quotes Ember study

By A Representative   Shankar Sharma, Power & Climate Policy Analyst, has urged India’s top policymakers to reconsider the financial and ecological implications of the country’s energy transition strategy in light of recent global developments. In a letter dated April 10, 2026, addressed to the Union Ministers of Finance, Power, New & Renewable Energy, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Vice Chair of NITI Aayog, with a copy to the Prime Minister, Sharma highlighted concerns over India’s ambitious plans for coal gasification and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).
Post a Comment
»

Health Day ads spark row as NAPi targets Britannia campaign, criticizes celebrity endorsement

By A Representative   The advocacy group Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) has raised concerns over what it describes as misleading advertising of ultra-processed food products (UPFs), particularly those high in sugar, fat and salt, calling for stricter regulations and an end to such promotions across media platforms.
Post a Comment
»