Farm Initiatives For Nutritional Security Of Rural Women Stressed At ICAR-CIWA Meet In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Nutritional interventions in improving family food and nutritional security of women were stressed by speakers at an awareness programme in Odisha capital on Friday.

Speaking at the programme on “Nutri Sensitive Agriculture”, organised by the ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (CIWA), Bhubaneswar, Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, NCW, said the Central government is dedicated to the cause of well being of women and taking timely measures to formulate and implement both women inclusive and women exclusive policies and programmes.

She hoped that women will be aware of the land rights and make efforts in giving this to their daughters for building a better tomorrow. She suggested that ICAR-CIWA should take initiative in packaging, shelf life improvement, marketing of locally prepared foods and battery operated women friendly tools for entrepreneurship development among women.

Dr Minati Behera, Chairperson, State Commission for Women, Odisha emphasised on suitable interventions for rural women by different stakeholders in a coordinated manner to improve their health, nutrition and livelihood. She stressed on mapping their risk, vulnerability and preparedness to ensure that agriculture production could harness their nutritional outcomes.

Dr Daisy Thakur, Chairperson, State Commission for Women, Himachal Pradesh said the women should take care of their own health and nutrition and avail the facilities of Women Commission in getting justice.

Dr Anil Kumar, Director, ICAR-CIWA highlighted the seven priority areas identified in the National Policy for Women by NCW covering the areas of health including food security and nutrition, education, economy, decision making, environment and climate change which largely affects the health, nutrition and wellbeing of farm women.

About 300 farm women from 13 villages of different districts of Odisha including staff of ICAR-CIWA attended the programme. A farmer-scientist interface was also organised in which scientists from ICAR-CIWA interacted with the participants and discussed new technologies and constraints faced by them.