Landless, nameless, essential: The story of India's women farmers https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/landless-nameless-essential-the-story-of-indias-women-farmers-3764318 Kavitha Kuruganti, October 15 is observed by the United Nations as International Rural Women’s Day and in India as Women Farmers’ Day. Although the National Policy For Farmers (2007) provided a clear and expansive definition of a "farmer", delinking it from land ownership and thereby including various categories of women farmers, this definition has not been implemented on the ground.
The day is also a reminder that most of these women still lack recognition and identity as farmers in their own right.
While patriarchy has placed most assets in men's hands, the least that the Government of India can do is redirect its DBT/DIT schemes to women farmers in agri-households. Progressive policies are also needed to redistribute asset ownership between men and women, with active incentives for gender equity.