India is taking a major step toward strengthening women’s participation in agriculture with the launch of the ICAR national gender platform women farming initiative. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) plans to connect over 900 institutions to enhance the role of women across the agri-food sector.
The platform will link ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and agricultural universities to improve research, extension services, and capacity-building programs focused on women farmers. This move is expected to significantly boost women in agriculture India, enabling better access to knowledge, technology, and resources.
The announcement was made during the Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems (GCWAS-2026), where policymakers, scientists, and stakeholders from 18 countries gathered to discuss gender inclusion. The conference concluded with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, which emphasizes promoting agri-food systems gender equality and strengthening women’s leadership in farming.
The ICAR gender initiative aims to address long-standing challenges faced by women farmers, including limited access to land, finance, markets, and digital technologies. Experts at the conference highlighted that women contribute nearly 60–70% of agricultural labour globally, yet remain underrepresented in decision-making roles.
By focusing on women farmers empowerment India, the platform will also promote gender-responsive policies, encourage women-led entrepreneurship, and improve data collection through gender-disaggregated systems. This will help policymakers design more effective and inclusive agricultural strategies.
ICAR Director General M.L. Jat emphasized that empowering women with knowledge and decision-making authority can significantly improve farm productivity, profitability, and sustainability. The initiative also calls for stronger collaboration among institutions to ensure real impact on the ground.
Overall, the ICAR national gender platform women farming initiative marks a transformative step toward inclusive agricultural growth. By strengthening women leadership farming India, the program is expected to create a more equitable, productive, and sustainable agri-food system in the years ahead.
Keywords: women in agriculture India, ICAR gender initiative, women farmers empowerment India, agri-food systems gender equality, Delhi Declaration agriculture, women leadership farming India
