Discrimination against female farmers
It is inexcusable that underprivileged people are forced to pay bribes or lobby with local influential people to get government services related to the food and agricultural sector. It only illustrates a level of corruption that, we believe, is quite abhorrent. Female farmers are doubly victim to the aberrant systemic injustices, not receiving just prices because of middlemen and the scheduled benefits of government services because of influential people.
Such discrimination shockingly persists despite the fact that 68.1 percent of agricultural workers - the majority - are women according to rights groups. And we agree with the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on food ministry that given the situation, the government alone, expressed, can address the problem. Disappointingly, however, corruption and irregularities that have crept in because of a lack of good governance are crippling such possibilities. Whereas the government should facilitate ways for female farmers to get their just return, corruption on its part only worsens their situation.
Social outlook, on the other hand, also adversely affect female farmers as they have to depend on their male family members who take advantage of them. Because women cannot always go to markets, for example, men oftentimes end up enjoying all the fruits of their labour from selling the produce for them.
The entire situation is extremely disheartening. With all of this happening, how is it that we claim to have made progress in terms of empowering women in our country? The government, we expect, will make immediate course correction by ensuring that female farmers receive their rightful returns. Corruption that is denying the poor of the benefits of government services being provided using taxpayer's money in particular must be rooted out.
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