Rural indigenous women farmers must be recognised
October 15 marked the International Day of Rural Women. According to the United Nations, the Day was established to recognise "the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty." From domestic work and rearing livestock to farming vegetables, rural indigenous women, especially in the districts of Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT), play an integral role in ensuring sustainability and rural development. Many of them are involved in farming, but the pandemic-induced shutdown has burdened them with added hardship as it became more difficult to sell their produce. However, if the women farmers are registered in the digital database of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), they would then become eligible for state support, which aims to enhance their livelihoods. Also, many indigenous women farmers are not yet aware of the fact that the government is providing a Tk 5,000 crore stimulus package to small and medium farmers in rural regions.
Although women farmers rank higher in number than their male counterparts, they usually remain as unregistered farmers. In some cases, their husbands are registered in the database—as DAE enlists only one name from an agricultural family—and therefore, the men are the recipients of the benefits. An overwhelming majority of women are kept out of the loop in terms of any state support such as agricultural cards, seeds, fertilisers, or low-interest loans, when in fact they too are toiling day and night to make important contributions to the country's society, agriculture and subsistence economy.
As the DAE lacks specific data on the rural indigenous women's farming activities, they must immediately make a comprehensive list of these women farmers. The government along with NGOs and other agencies can work out policies to protect the rights, healthcare and economic development of the rural indigenous women. Indigenous communities going through financial hardship at this time must be supported by the government. When it comes to indigenous female farmers, extra attention must be paid so that they are not left out of the government's rescue package as they play an important part in contributing to the production of food and to our economy.
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