Empowerment of women on an agricultural research farm in India: a success story

At the heart of all research activities in agriculture lies the huge power of human resources, which helps to galvanize scientists into action. This disorganized force of workers, called the labour force, comprises both men and women to be employed on an equitable basis. As in other areas of work, women working on the farm have certain stereotyped roles in an otherwise supposedly non-gender-specific domain. This paper looks into the presumptions, problems and prospects of these neglected, but essential women workers on agricultural research farms. It highlights the experiences and issues that have emerged from a novel experiment involving the empowerment of farm women. In the case presented, empowerment was achieved through a threefold strategic approach. This involved education to promote positive self-image and self-confidence, skills development, and creating an awareness of social change. Various initiatives were promoted on a sustained basis to bring about the change process. These included adult literacy programmes, payment of wages to individuals through their bank accounts, on-site skills development and training, participation of workers in decision-making meetings to develop action plans and set targets for their respective areas of work, acquisition of gender-friendly equipment, health campaigns, etc. All these brought about gradual but perceptible changes in their attitudes and behaviour. The result of this empowerment process was reflected in enhanced qualitative and quantitative outcomes. A crucial factor in the success and sustainability of this empowerment process was the support and visionary outlook of top management. The lessons from this case study can serve as motivating factors for other agricultural institutions to experiment.