Latest news with #Makaam
Mint
27-05-2025
- General
- Mint
This women farmers' network envisions a feminist future for agriculture
At Dharmaveer auditorium at Pune's Savitribai Phule University two weeks ago, a few women from tribal communities talked about the produce they had on display, while some from Gujarat took photographs, and others explained to other visitors the use of headphones to get live translations of sessions. A lot was going on all at once at the three-day conference, from 7-9 May, which was attended by more than 500 women farmers from 17 states to mark the 10th anniversary of Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch (Makaam), the women farmers' rights alliance. The women exuded confidence, camaraderie and wisdom but beneath it all ran the deeper issues, long-term challenges and the uphill journey they have been tackling for a decade. Also read: The march of women farmers Given that everywhere, on every piece of farmland, women do all kinds of jobs from sowing to harvesting, it may seem odd that there has to be a full-fledged movement to get them rights. But that's exactly what Makaam has been working on since April 2014—to have women farmers recognised as farmers and consequently, the access and rights that male farmers have. This includes land rights, fair wages, access to government schemes, and most importantly, protection from structural violence. Among the female workforce, more than 65% depend solely on agriculture and yet most are called 'workers" or 'labourers" and not recognised as farmers, according to data from the 2011 Census. This is despite the 2007 National Agriculture Policy, which says a farmer should be recognised as such irrespective of ownership of land, and which includes cultivators, forest-dependent people, tenant farmers, agri labourers and fisherfolk within the definition of a farmer. 'It is impossible for a woman in a far-flung village to express what she feels to even people around her. Suddenly we get a platform where we meet other women farmers who understand and empathise and are willing to do something about it. It is a big thing," says Suneeta Kashyap, a farmer from Naini village, near Ranikhet in Uttarakhand. The solidarity and sisterhood that Kashyap is referring to is one of the strengths of the network. Women have been surviving discrimination, exploitation and violence for decades in farms and homes, and one of the core focus areas for Makaam is combating structural violence. Seema Kulkarni, Makaam founding member and Maharashtra coordinator, says violence takes various forms when it comes to women farmers. 'If a relative abuses you on the field, is it domestic violence or harassment at work? Denial of land rights is a form of violence. Refusal to acknowledge their contribution and refusal to pay is structural violence." She points to the grim figures of suicides among women farmers, often counted as homemakers/housewives instead of as farmer suicides to explain how women's rights, labour and their very existence are constantly undermined. At the meeting in Pune, women from different states shared their stories and struggles of encountering violence and how they dealt with it. These discussions not only help build solidarity but also bring crucial issues to the public domain. In the past decade, the members have steadfastly focused on three principles: samvad (dialogue), sangharsh (resistance/struggle) and nirman (creation/production). Kavitha Kurunganti, one of the founding members, vividly remembers how it all began: 'In April 2014, around 22 of us met in Nagpur for two days to discuss how adequate attention and a space can be carved for women farmers." The figures she quotes from various sources are stark: women own only 11.8% of the agricultural land, according to 2021 government data, which has direct implications for access to loans, seeds and schemes. Women farmers get only 50-75% of men's wages, while doing more than 60% of agricultural jobs exclusively. 'Though there were strong movements for agroecology, women's rights, social equity and farmers' issues, rights of women farmers slipped through the cracks in each of these movements," says Kurunganti. Makaam was a result of that deliberation and the late Mina Swaminathan, a leading educationist and feminist, gave the group its name, which translates to 'destination" in Hindi. Fighting corporate control and patriarchy is at the heart of their efforts to create a more sustainable, alternative food production system. 'We are a loose but strong network, not a formal organisation," says Kulkarni. 'We rely on domestic funding, work through collective leadership, and stay grounded in the states and communities where women are organising," she says. The network has spread to 20-22 states though its most active members are in 10-12 states, including Maharashtra, Telangana and Punjab. This is not the first such group, but it is one of the first such women's farmers' alliances bringing together various other networks, campaigns, movements, collectives, organisations and individuals advocating for the right to livelihood for women farmers. Kurunganti explains that the platform has associations with around 200 organisations and individuals, such as the four-decade-old Deccan Development Society that works with nearly 5,000 Dalit and indigenous small women farmer groups. Such partnerships give them the strength of a grassroots network and flexible organisation. This model of collective leadership, free of hierarchy and rooted in democracy, could serve as a blueprint in a sector facing daily challenges from climate change and increasingly at the mercy of corporate and political interests. Agricultural expert Navsharan Singh, who has worked extensively in Punjab, says Makaam's simultaneous focus on advocacy and mobilisation is impactful. 'Experiences of women farmers have been intense and different… Makaam's work has led to foregrounding women in policy," says Singh. The policy interventions Makaam has been involved in include getting the Central government to release the data of land records with identifiable listings of women land owners under the 2008 digital modernisation programme. They have successfully intervened in including women farmers in implementation of the Forest Rights Act by registering their titles or joint titles and claims for CFR (community forest resource) rights. 'Exclusion in employment and land rights pushes women further into poverty and vulnerability," says Singh. Singh says the alliance's future challenges are many, given the serious implications of climate change and the policy direction towards corporatised farming. She points out that the Draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing that aims to reimagine the agricultural marketing ecosystem in India 'is yet another attempt to corporatise the sector", adding that 'the only way forward is resistance." Given the fact that neither the government nor society recognises women farmers, Makaam's work is critical. 'Along with cultural invisibilisation, women are also structurally pushed to the lowest end of agriculture," says social anthropologist and agrarian expert A.R. Vasavi. 'No policy is women-centric and much more recognition and encouragement is required." This aspect of advocating for policy that considers women's needs often came up during the panel discussions and in questions from the audience. 'We want to build stronger, membership-based forums for women farmers, so that this movement is not just about advocacy but about mass-based, organised power," says Kulkarni. 'Importantly we want to ensure that the future of India's agriculture is feminist, just, and sustainable—and that women are at the very centre of this transformation." Kashyap from Uttarakhand is one of the people who has seen in action the benefits of that mass-based power while negotiating prices for women farmers who are part of the local organisation Umang (the 16-year-old Umang is also a member of Makaam). 'At Umang, we accept any amount of produce from women farmers, small or large, and ensure that everyone gets a fair rate. Because of our efforts, not only do farmers from our village get a good rate, but even neighbouring villages check what we are doing and try to follow. When we go to meet officials through Makaam, we are able to put forward our case and are often successful." Umang has 2,500 women members and works in 100 villages in the Kumaon region. 'We have proven that we can work towards holistic development," she says, emphasising the power of sisterhood. 'Our success comes from nurturing relationships and creating networks and bonds to work together." Prachi Pinglay-Plumber is an independent journalist and professor of practice at Central Campus, CHRIST University, Bengaluru. Also read: A deep dive into rubber's living legacy
Time of India
09-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Demand to include landless women tillers in farmers' registry
Pune: Over 500 and representatives from 17 states have criticised govt for excluding landless cultivators from the . A resolution passed on the final day of the three-day National Convention of Women Farmers in Pune, organised by Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch ( ) and Savitribai Phule Pune University's Women and Gender Studies Department challenges the landowner-only definition of 'farmer'.Dwaraka Waghmare, Sadhana Waghmare and Surekha Ovhal from Beed said that they migrate for six months each year to work as sugar cane cutters in Kolhapur in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They joined Makaam four years ago when activists visited their village. "We had no idea about our rights, nor did talk about them. We worked 18 hours a day for little pay and didn't realise it."Since joining Makaam, they have learned about sustainable farming, better seeds, and improved food practices. "It took us two years just to convince other women to speak up and organise. In the first year, only three of us were involved. Today, 45 women in our village practice sustainable farming."Their collective bargaining has already had an impact. "Earlier, the contractor paid us Rs 229. After we organised and demanded better wages, we now get Rs 366."Seema Kulkarni, National Facilitation Team member of Makaam said that the organisation was formed in 2014, but the first national summit was held in 2016. "This is the second summit to celebrate 10 years of Makaam's formation. The theme of the conference was identity, resilience, and transformation because ten years later, we're still fighting for identity — and organising around it remains just as vital," Kulkarni Raut from Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh said, "I now train other women. We discuss gender-based violence, sexuality, and everyday biases that women face. We are also promoting organic farming and encouraging women to start small group enterprises to build economic independence." Shubhada Deshmukh, a member of the national facilitation team, highlighted how and the forest-based economy are overlooked. "For Adivasi women and other forest dwellers, the jungle is not just a livelihood — it is life itself," she said. It's not only about legal rights over forest land; the forest is deeply interwoven with culture, identity, and survival. She emphasised that any conversation on forest rights must be rooted in the lived realities of those who depend on it. "We need to focus both on improving their access to rights and on raising awareness — not just among forest communities, but also in the mainstream — about how intimately their lives are connected to the jungle. "Right time to fix systemic wrongs The 2007 National Policy for Farmers recognises women cultivators, agricultural workers, fishers, forest produce gatherers, and livestock rearers as farmers regardless of land ownershipTwo decades later, the new registry ignores these categoriesIt will deny thousands of women vital entitlements such as disaster compensation, scheme benefits, and minimum wage protectionsSejal Dand from MAKAAM said with AI entering the space, faulty, exclusionary datasets will become the new baseline and will be used to automate entitlement denial
