National Gender Platform for Agri-food Systems

About the Platform

ICAR established the National Gender Platform for Agri-Food Systems (NGPAS) as a national collaborative mechanism to connect institutions, evidence, innovation and action for advancing gender-responsive transformation across agri-food systems.
The Platform provides a mechanism for identifying, prioritizing and addressing the diverse needs and challenges of women farmers across the country through coordinated and evidence-based action.
It connects more than 900 agricultural research institutes, agricultural universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), creating a strong national institutional network for advancing women’s participation, leadership, innovation and empowerment in agri-food systems.
The Platform will engage the relevant stakeholders–research institutions, line departments, civil society organizations, women’s collectives, producer organizations, the private sector and other stakeholders to strengthen convergence, partnerships and collective action.
Through this network, NGPAS will promote gender-responsive research and innovation, technology dissemination, capacity building, entrepreneurship, evidence generation and policy support, while facilitating greater institutional convergence.
Collectively, these efforts aim to enhance women’s access to knowledge, technologies, resources and opportunities; strengthen their productivity, livelihoods, agency and decision-making; and advance their overall empowerment, contributing to more inclusive, equitable and sustainable agri-food systems in India.

Objectives

To facilitate coordinated engagement among research, education, extension, policy and field-level institutions working on gender in agrifood systems.
To strengthen the generation, use and sharing of gender-relevant evidence and data for informed decision-making.
To support the development, adaptation and wider uptake of gender-responsive approaches, technologies and institutional practices.
To promote pathways that enhance women’s leadership, agency, capabilities and economic opportunities across agrifood systems.
Action Areas of the Platform