Women farmers lost in shadow of men
“I preserve seeds, sow them, water the fields and take care of the plants yet I have no right to proceeds of the crop sale,” said Zaheda Begum, hailing from Barisal.
“The crop field is owned by my father-in-law and the money to buy the seeds is sent by my husband who lives with his second wife in Chittagong so the sale proceeds go to them and I am left at their mercy,” continued the woman farmer.
Zaheda shared such daily challenges faced by women farmers of Bangladesh in pursuing their livelihoods at a discussion organised by Oxfam in the capital's Jatiya Press Club yesterday marking International Day of Rural Women.
Proposed in the United Nation's Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, the day is being celebrated worldwide since 1997 in over 100 countries to raise awareness about women's contributions to agriculture and farming.
With no access to agricultural loan or government-issued farmer's card, which helps access agricultural inputs, Zaheda was forced to depend on her husband's money for her agricultural venture. “When I asked for it, the authorities told me that only men can get the cards,” she said.
However, she stressed training on crops, cultivation and farming as the most essential requirement for women farmers.
Moslema Akhter, another women farmer of Bogra, echoed the call. “When I ask for advice from male farmers, they sometimes intentionally give incorrect information.”
“Besides I often see men using too much chemicals and insecticides which make the crop look nice but is harmful for health,” she said, adding that she had a hard time selling her vegetables as she grew them without using harmful chemicals.
“The van-puller who took my vegetable to the market said my crop did not sell well as they did not look nice compared to those in which medicine were used,” she said, wishing people would understand that nice looking vegetables may not always be good for their health.
Market access was the other major challenge that women farmers face and the demand to ensure it came up in a concept paper, presented by Mousumi Biswas of Oxfam's campaign office, one of the 19 organisations promoting sustainable rural livelihood in the country's seven divisions.
The paper's 10 demands also include recognising women's contribution to agriculture and food security, ensuring subsidy for women farmers and introduction of family agricultural cards and ensuring women's right to property.
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