Digital Discourse Series on “Gender and Pandemic through Farmers’ FIRST approach”

10 - 12 August, 2020, Bengaluru

The ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Bengaluru in association with the Farmers’ FIRST Centers of ICAR-CPCRI, ICAR-NIANP, ICAR-IIHR and ICAR-CIFT, organized the Digital Discourse Series on “Gender and Pandemic: Challenges and opportunities” from 10th to 12th August, 2020.

Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR highlighted the agriculture’s productive performances during the pandemic period indicating the resilience of farming community and technologies. He also urged the FFP Centres for promoting the Farmers’ Producers’ Organizations for empowering the farm women.

Briefing about the challenges being faced by the farm women during the COVID-19, Dr. V. Venkatasubramanian, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Bengaluru emphasized on maintaining the farm women’s proper health and emotional stability along with their empowerment through technology accessibility, market support, partnership, linkage and policy issues, etc.

The Farmers’ FIRST Programme aims at engaging the farmers and farm women with different technological modules besides, capacity building. The gender in agriculture and development is recognized as crucial for attaining sustainability and ensuring a way forward for an equitable social system.

Around 10 eminent scientists and policy makers in the country virtually addressed the views related to gender sensitization of technology development and transfer, vulnerability of farm women during pandemic period, consequences of reverse migration on income and nutrition, livelihood skill up-gradation, emotional and psychological stress and its effect on women, etc.

A total of 160 participants from across the country virtually participated in the programme.

(Source: ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Bengaluru)