Womens Issues

WOMENS EMPOWERMENT THROUGH TRAINING IN AGRICULTURAL SKILLS –A WORLD SITUATIONAL REVIEW

              G M WANI

 

Government of India in its agriculture reforms has initiated a scheme entitled ”Support to State Extension Programmes”. The major guiding principles of the scheme are as:

 

Ø      Reforming State Agricultural Extension.

Ø      Promoting private sector to compliment and supplement public extension system.

Ø      Augment media and information technology.

Ø      Empowerment of women through mainstreaming gender issues.

Ø      Capacity building /skilled up-gradation of farmers and farm women.

 

In this scheme the state level training institute of all the states were upgraded as autonomous State Agriculture Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI). Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir has also utilized this scheme and upgraded Directorate of Extension Education, SKUAST-K as SAMETI-Kashmir vide order No: 341 Agri. of 2005 dated 18.11.2005. During last few years SAMETI has developed a number of training programme for scientific, research and extension planning of various ATMA districts which consisted of masters training programmes, training of various KVKs, NGOs and ATMA personnel, formation of executive and general councils of the SAMETI etc. Various participatory mode of extension activities were conducted in selected modal villages. Various Kissan Melas, Kissan Awareness Programmes, Kissan Call Centres were established and publications have been circulated among the farmers free of cost. During the last few years many projects have been initiated in consultation with NGOs like Aga Khan Foundation, Border Security Force and other NGOs. Today’s Farm Women Conference has the objectives of empowerment of the women through organizing trainings in collaboration with KVKs, NGOs, Self Help Groups etc.

The Farm Women Conference was to be  inaugurated by Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production Deptt. J&K Govt. and Chairperson of Executive Council of SAMETI. The conference  stressed upon the importance of women in Agriculture. As per the information from National Women Research Centre, 43% time of farm women is spent on the activities of Agriculture. The industrialized nations too have problems for the farm women. In USA managerial jobs are maned by men but the jobs like bottle washing in the private sectors are done by women. Many rural and agriculture inequalities have been addressed in various conferences in USA, during April, 2008. The agricultural inequalities need to be addressed if we have to achieve social and political empowerment for women. The  details of issues of women in agriculture  werediscussed.It is felt that the access and control over resourcesby women is very meager. Thus a need for training modules, skill up-gradation.is felt. The conference is aimed at evolving a consensus among public / private concerns for empowerment of women through agricultural skill upgradation. Self Help Groups shall play important part in technology dissemination and awareness.

There have been successful experiences achieved in India for eco-friendly pest management through women’s participation. The cost competitive farming has been achieved in some of the under developed nations by training women in agriculture. Social awareness and sanitation responsibilities could be shouldered by the women very easily. All we need is to upgrade skills and knowledge of the farm women in J&K state.

Unfortunately, like other states we do not have data base on women issues in agriculture. Farm implements and reduction of drudgery of farm women has never been attempted or mitigated in J&K. Thus development of training modules for mobilization of women to achieve their livelihood through self help groups is needed. We have various models operative in other states of country. Like Udaipur, Rajasthan where women income has been raised from few rupees to thousands of rupees per month by channelizing sewage water for irrigation of vegetable crops. Study comprising of women agriculture labourers has indicated that 42% women wanted training in live stocks and 44% wanted training in vegetables. Unfortunately neither the social nor agriculture scientists have a data base for J&K available as on today. This is why the present training programme has been proposing to construct the data base. In this direction we may be in touch with Women Research Institute of ICAR. Half of the work force in agriculture consists of women. It is known that 43.7% of the agriculture workers are women. Tamil Nadu Agriculture University has made a study, which reveals that traditional sickles used by farm women were increasing heart rate and heart beats of the women more than the limit of 110 and 40 beats/ minute. On the other hand the KVK Dapoli sickle has been found to be most suitable for the women which does not increase heart beat or pulse rate.

Though SAMETI-K has felt that technological empowerment for women is essential and SAMETI-K is conducting a survey through Participatory Rapid Appraisal Techniques (PRAT). The scientists of the SAMETI alongwith other NGOs and related specialists has visited Uri, Sumbal, Koil Muqam, Srinagar, Anantnag and other places and have prepared district strategic plans for Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Srinagar, Anantnag and  Budgam districts. The need of technology interventions for empowerment of women have been identified. Training modules have been discussed in Academic Council of SAMETI. Many interventions have been identified in consultation with self help groups in Sumbal and Uri. There is a need to actively receive support from all the concerns like Central, State Agriculture Scientists, Public Funding Agencies, Science and Technology Departments and other donor departments to participate and collaborate with the SAMETI, so that some of the problems of farm women could be mitigated.

We have a poorest of poor women called fisherwomen who need an integration for livelihood. We can emulate some of the success stories from elsewhere. It has been seen that integrating fisher women with poultry can help to increase their income. The fish-poultry ponds can substantially increase the income of fisher women. Three such small units clubbed with poultry-duck could give a yearly income of 40-42,000/-. It is estimated that vegetable-fish yield in such ventures gave 3 to 7 tonnes/hac. We have enough space available around banks of Wular and Jehlum, open flood channels across the city and towns for this venture.

Ours is a fruit dependant economy. We can benefit our farm women by devising Zero Energy Cool Chambers. Our Post Harvest Technology Division has already demonstrated and worked on such cool chambers on the bases of feed back from Directorate of Extension Education. A small amount of Rs.5000/- was given to PHT which has led to successful development of Zero Energy Cool Chambers. Many more ventures of trainings for women, both unemployed, semi employed, or house wives were planned. We have even options for working women or studying girls to increase their pocket money from ornamental floriculture products, agro-based products, marketing, value addition and preservation of Agri-products. We have attempted a series of trainings for women. Some of them were presented in the conference and narrated their success stories. However, a consolidated banking loan – advisory system is to be evolved if these trained women could be the real entrepreneurs. Many other issues to solve the problems have been discussed and identified like self banking ventures, collection of information system, self education and economic diversification.

J&K Govt. has a number of programmes, water shed management, horticulture missions which need essentially to have 20-30% farm women participation, if these programmes are to be crowned with success. Our social – cultural system  is more competent than rest of the country, because our women has a religious and cultural right to hire 1/3rd property of parents which can encourage them to be self reliant and self sustained entrepreneur. Many other options like preparation of mushroom, vermiculture, vegetable preservation, pickle making, vegetable drying and post harvest management of all crops and fruits can be the successful training modules for our farm women. One wonders to know that state like Rajasthan has women’s cooperatives. It is astonishing to know that first women’s bank with International help is in Chandnichowk, not of Rawalpendi, Pakistan, as identified by UNO Group of women. Azarbaijan, another muslim country with similar veil culture is leading country in the world where workable age of women (16-57) is nearer to workable age of men (16-62). For example in Kashmir (Srinagar) where Tibatien women had a marketing space in Lal Chowk still exists in Leh. In rural Kashmir most of the fish marketing is in the hands of the women. Same is the case in marketing of Singhada. We need to have trainings and basic facilities for these women, so that they can save and plan their incomes in modern way. It was also emphasized that we should come up with help for house wives, widows and old aged women. The study has shown that western style feminization in India has not worked. This is the work of the Ph.D study undertaken by Scotland Ph.D scholar – Dr. D.Smith who emphasized training of women agriculture workers within their villages. Empowerment of farm women is the only way to lead their political power. These experiences has been successful in the world’s largest Islamic Country, Indonesia, where it is now a routine that women’s share in political ground higher than the developed countries. We will have to imbibe examples from Hongkong to uplift and install fish, vegetable marketing activities by women.

SAMETI so far in collaboration with NGO, KVKs conducted 113 training programmes for women during the year 2007-08 which benefited 2278 farm women.    

 

 

                                                                                               

                                                                                          

                                                                            



By: G M Wani

About the Author:

BarackObamadotcom asked:

Governor Minner shared her story at a Women’s Economic Roundtable hosted by Michelle Obama.

Several books were published in regards to women’s issues, which lead to development of self, voice and mind. So many of the books published today talk about women’s issues, which these authors bring into light what they think in relation to assimilation of knowledge.

Some of the popular issues addressed after interviews were in relation to gender, relationships and gender-segregation. The issues discussed brought into focus processes of learning and the standards of common people, including moral.

In theory with concrete evidence to back many claims, some authors set out to discuss knowledge. Women were asked in some interviews how they view themselves in the public eye. During the interviews, authors decided that the very many women view themselves factors into their self-perceptions.

Silence was discussed. Many women showed traits of believing and trusting in almost any authority figure. Thus, in concluded interviews, some women felt that stereotype factored into the way they felt about themselves. We see that influences has persuaded many women to take on traits of stereotyping themselves, despite it is immorally wrong.

Down through the centuries women have been silenced, believing that speaking out will only cause problems. The issues derived from White Supremacy thinking have drifted many women into believing they are second to man. The brainwashed influencing actions lead many women to believe they do not even have the right to voice their opinion.

Major suppression then has caused serious emotional stress on these women, and has caused them much heartache. Families, men, etc has forced women for too long to suppress their emotions, which is way many women’s issues are being addressed today.

We as women must not accept that what an authority tells us is right. Rather we must seek our own truths to discover our individuality. We must leave the passive attitude behind us to a large degree and stand up to speak out. Women need to make a difference in the world by addressing the many issues we face today.

So many authority figures that act with immature minds may tell us to keep a lid on it; however, we must not believe these authorities, since we see undeveloped minds speaking. Would you listen to your five-year-old if he/she told you to keep a lid on it? In comparison, those that belittle women and put them below them are minds of five-year-olds in action.

Women, like men should be respected. We must build confidence, self-respect and stress our views and ideas when thoughts develop. We must learn to express our emotions freely and not believe any authority, just because they said so.

Authors today have discussed subjective understanding. Some people believe that because a woman is conformed to subjective knowledge that she functions or thinks that she is better than others, and that she is stubborn.

Contrary to these notions, women of subjective nature put themselves below others, and their ideas focus on respect. These women may still speak their mind, yet they respect their husband as the head of the home, and respect other authorities.

Sarah, Abraham’s wife is a fine example of a subjective thinker and by no means was she haughty in any way rather she was humble.

Some authors carried on with defining procedural knowledge. With this knowledge, women conform to voicing with reason. According to some of the authors, these women have a level heads and clearly grasp their strengths and abilities. Some authors defined these women in parts rather than a whole. The authors in question used separating and connecting views, stating that women connected to others by dissecting or analyzing subjects while relying on others to conclude. Under discussion, these women were claimed to relax, and discuss ideas in a peaceful setting.

According to perspective views of opinionates, these women were non-prone to maliciously striking out at others. Contrary to their findings, there are no secrets that many of these types of women engage in gossip, etc, and often find themselves in challenges with authority figures.

The separate versions of procedural intellect claim that women of this nature tend to join in discussions without feeling hostile. Thus, disciplinary subjectivity proved to be one of the more effective ways to develop self, voice, and mind.



By: Floyd Bogart

About the Author:

haroldchanner asked:

Hon. Carolyn Maloney 11-11-08 Air date
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney.
Time Magazine has called her a tenacious, resilient legislator. The New York Sun said her entire career has been marked by a kind of personal courage. The Village Voice characterized her as a tiger in the House on every dollar due New York. And The New York Times said, New York’s Congressional delegation stands out for their moxie, kind of the way New Yorkers themselves often do. Among the brashest members is Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, a Democrat of Manhattan.

1. You do not need to lie to a woman to get her to like you. If you are real and true, it will eventually manifest itself to her in a way that she can only see. If I tell you what that is, I’ll be giving away the secrets!

2. All women are not the same and most of us can take care of ourselves just fine. It is not the big and expensive gifts that count; it is the small things like: leaving notes around the house, on the car, on the desk at work, leaving a card, better yet – making your own personal card for her….it shows that you really care.

3. Women would like it if you noticed their new haircut, new outfit, or new pair of shoes every once in a while. It displays attentiveness. You are not required to know who the designer is (they would probably think you are a little too sweet then); however you are required to notice new things. Besides, she does it all for you!

4. If you want that attractive woman that you have been chasing everyday……stop chasing her! When you stop chasing her, she’ll start to wonder what happened to the attention that she was getting from you. That way……she’ll start looking for you in a subtle way. Pay attention!

5. Guys, there is no need to **** on your friend, just to make your woman not like him. It won’t work anyway. You can say all the negative things you want about your friend, if she finds him attractive, that’s all she’s going to see. While you are continuing to talk negatively about him, it is only making him more intriguing to her!

Monica M. Burns

Copyright2006. Monica M. Burns. All Rights Reserved.

About The Author – Image Consultant/Fashion Stylist

Monica M. Burns is a Writer, Expert Author, and Image Consultant/Fashion Stylist. She is President and Founder of Fabulous Life Image Consulting. She is also Founding Editor and President of Monica M. Burns Inc. Publications and Fabulous Life Image Online Magazine. She is an Expert in her field with over ten (10) years of experience. She has authored several eBooklets and other reading information materials and is a featured Expert Author and Writer on many websites and in many In-Print and Online Magazines. She has also contributed to several poetic anthologies and won awards for her work.

If you would like to copy or publish any of this author’s articles or other reading materials electronically or in print to your websites, ebooks, newsletters, ezines, or any other publications, you MUST include this Author’s Byline and all of the Contact and Ordering Information.

Visit Her Websites At: http://fabimageseminars.sm4.biz http://fabulouslifeimagemag.sm4.biz

http://fundamentals.sm4.biz http://thefablife.weblodge.net



By: Monica M. Burns

About the Author:

Type in a couple of womens health fitness keywords into Google or any one of the many search engines and what do you get? You get some great sites related to womens health fitness and more

There are tons of womens health fitness websites some are little more than advertisements but many others provide a terrific supply of information relating to womens issues. Scientific research, data from studies, health conditions, nutrition, and fitness, as well as prevention and treatment information.

It’s important for women to get accurate information about issues that directly relate to their health and that includes the latest on womens health fitness. What was thought the best advice only a year or so ago has now been improved.

For example today it is a well known fact that women suffer heart attacks at the same rate as men but they often present differently to emergency wards to many go undiagnosed. It has also bee shown that womens health fitness is critical to keeping women healthier especially after menopause when their natural protection dwindles.

Studies have also shown that women health fitness can make a big difference in a womens ability to maintain here weight. It seems after 40 women get the privilege of a few extra pounds suddenly appearing around the waste line and so with some proper exercise routines you can better defy mother nature.

Womens health fitness is finally getting the same attention that mens has for decades. Suddenly we realize that besides helping to keep the pounds off women also need to make sure that they are taking care of their cardio workouts.

This brings us to another subject – weight loss. For many women this is an ongoing battle that’s not easy to resolve. Many would love to convince you that you need all kinds of diet pills to lose those pounds when really what you need is much simpler. You need to ensure that the calories you are burning exceed the calories you are taking in.

There are plenty of excellent health fitness resource sites for women and there are just as many terrific magazines that are full of helpful exercise tips, nutritional tips, and all kinds of tips to have you looking and feeling great. And isn’t that what all women want? To look and feel their best?

Women may a great deal more attention to how they look and feel then men do. In general women are much more in tune to the signals their bodies are sending them and they are also much more interested in health fitness and how it affects their overall well being.

Men are more interested in fitness to great a buff, polished look although slowly they are beginning to recognize and understand the value of a cardio workout. Women on the other hand have long understood how their health fitness and their overall well being were directly related. And for one to have a terrific overall well being they needed to have a good health fitness ethic.

So the only question that remains is which type of health fitness program best suits your own personal lifestyle and goals.



By: Kelly Johnson

About the Author:

Women reach the goals they set for themselves by maintaining focus and conviction. Let us study the various strategies women should employ to get where they want to be.

Conviction

The first thing you must do is focus on the goals you wish to attain and match them with what you are capable of doing.

What is essential is to believe in yourself and your capabilities. If you are sure of these, others will see it in you. This is strategy #1.

Goal

Strategy #2 is setting a goal or goals for yourself. Unless you do so, you will be directionless, and that will limit you. If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t be able to figure out how to get there.

It’s very much like driving somewhere. You need to determine a route to get there. Once this is determined, you will know what to do next to reach that destination.

Network

One of the ways to promote yourself is to associate with the right people. It is important to network with the people who can show how to reach your goal and open doors for you to facilitate your journey.

Being able to establish the fact that you move in those circles will lend you much credibility. Read the biography of Richard Branson of Virgin Empire who became very successful through good networking and associations.

This strategy of being in the company of a professional group related to your goal is very important.

Contribute to Your Team

Use whatever gifts you have to make contributions to your team. Be generous with your time in helping the other members. Also, develop a reputation as a willing volunteer when the opportunity arises. Use every opportunity that comes along or that you can create to display your special skills and your work ethic.

Display a professional outlook in all your interactions with members of your team. Take every opportunity to reveal the special instincts you have as a woman.

Talking Points

Take care to speak at the appropriate time and do not be verbose. Polish your communication skills.

Remember: the person who will be admired and remembered the longest is the one who is a good listener. Work on your listening skills and you’ll be surprised at how far they will take you.

Deliver on Time

Don’t make commitments you can’t keep, and follow through on any commitment you make if you want people to respect and trust you.

Maintain a Balance in Life

Project a hard-working image but not at the cost of family or children. You have a number of roles to play; do not overplay one and underplay another. Maintain a balance in your life. You will gain respect in this way.

“Mind over matter”! Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it. Follow career strategies suitable for women, put forth the necessary effort, and you are sure to reach your goals.



By: Tony Jacowski

About the Author: