Business of Agriculture March April 2019 Edition | Page 7

are still seen as a man’s enterprise. Women have
traditionally not been farmers but rather helpers. The
world has moved on. Technology has made women
equal if not more competent than men in many areas
of farming. Banks and NBFC’s are still reluctant in
providing rural finance to women.
Women are traditionally left out of male trading
bastions, where they were not considered to be
competent to trade and take decisions. The women
farmers need direct access to improved agricultural
practices, advanced technologies and links to markets.
It is the need of the time today to think critically about
the information and communication tools which
can help women farmers who may not enjoy much
physical mobility to reach out to markets. These
practices are usually associated with male-centric
arena. There are hardly any avenues for training
women in the field. The issue remains that women
are not welcomed in programmes that can teach
them new techniques, information is scarce and
lack of knowledge is the major deterrent for female
agriculturists.
Ways to Overcome these Challenges
It is very much important to develop a conducive
environment not only for bringing women farmers
into the mainstream but also for empowering women
farmers by providing them adequate knowledge on
the technical and financial aspects of the agriculture
sector. Some of the key actions required to overcome
those challenges to equality include:
Expansion in Women’s Access to Land Rural
Finance: Providing women with access to finance and
production inputs can be a good step towards closing
the productivity gap between men and women. The
banks and financial institutions have to ensure that
women are benefited from land titling projects.
| March-April 2019 • Vol. V • Issue 2
Business of Agriculture
Women are
traditionally
left out of
male trading
bastions,
where they
were not
considered to
be competent
to trade and
take decisions
7