Addressing Gender Issues

Recognising the importance of gender equity in agricultural development, AME has been making systematic efforts to involve farm women in all activities, especially in Participatory Technology Development (PTD) and Farmers Field School (FFS) events. Community based organizations like Self Help Groups (SHG) are regularly associated.

A series of training activities on community organization and gender issues are conducted for NGOs who in turn facilitate the process of empowerment in the communities they are working with. Learning workshops are also organised for upgrading internal capacity.

AME devotes special attention to gender issues. A welcome trend is seen of women taking over PTD processes, gradually. In 1996, about 30% of farmers involved in PTD processes were women, while in 2000 it was 65%. A draft Gender Training Manual in Tamil has been published. Experience regarding gender implications and how they could be addressed through PTD processes have been shared with others.

Some technologies for women are labour intensive, like use of bio-fertilizers while some others like Cotton Integrated Pest management (IPM) are labour savers. Knowledge empowerment of women through PTD is therefore important. Women take labour increase positively as long as it is offset by the benefits in terms of increase in income, status or decision-making role. Thus, knowledge is power, especially for women. Increased knowledge leads to increased self-respect and social status. Women handled other issues such as meetings with the district officers for mobilizing inputs. This is a big leap forward. Also, there are cases where women have resisted pressures in the family to go back to chemical farming.

Women's mobility has increased. They now visit agriculture knowledge centres, training centres and attend farmer meets. Also, with reduced contact with pesticides, they have less health and reproductive problems. Decline in pesticide use has led to fewer health problems like skin rashes, loss of appetite and respiratory troubles.