New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), an RSS affiliate, on Wednesday called for greater recognition of women farmers and said their contribution to agriculture needs to be reflected in policymaking, land ownership and the broader perception of the farming community.
Addressing an all-India women farmers’ conference at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here, BKS all-India women’s coordinator Manju Dikshit said there is a need to change the traditional image of a farmer as a man working with a plough, as women make a significant contribution to agriculture.
“Whenever farmers are discussed, a man comes to mind, someone wearing a kurta-pyjama, holding a plough in his hands. But the woman farmer who is working in the fields does not become visible,” Dikshit said.
She said women farmers work throughout the year and their contribution needs to be recognised.
“The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh has shown this reality today that a woman farmer is empowered, prosperous and self-reliant. If she struggles, if she is dedicated, she also delivers results. Those results are before us today,” she said.
Dikshit said women farmers also face challenges related to ownership of agricultural land and claimed that despite women undertaking 60 to 80 per cent of agricultural tasks, only around 8 to 10 per cent of agricultural land is in their names.
“But today, we will demonstrate that too. Women will be present here, and they will be honoured. They will show not just India but the entire world how empowered and prosperous they are,” she said.
She said around 7 lakh women are associated with the BKS as workers out of its 42 lakh members, and women workers are present at the state, district, tehsil and village levels.
The BKS has around 60,000 village committees and works across the country, she said.
Dikshit said women farmers from different parts of the country, including Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh, participated in the conference.
According to the organisation, thousands of women farmer workers from different states and villages attended the conference, with participants reaching Delhi on their own tickets and expenses.
The conference was organised with the theme “Hum Bharat ki nariyan vaibhav layengi” (We, the women of India, will bring prosperity), and began with cow worship, worship of Lord Balaram and flag hoisting, the BKS said in a statement.
Addressing the inaugural session, chief guest and Vice Chancellor of Kota Agriculture University Vimla Dunkwal said women possess the ability to contribute simultaneously to creation and development.
BKS national general secretary Mohini Mohan Mishra said the vision of a developed and healthy India by 2047 cannot be realised without “gau-krishi-vanijyam” (cow-based agriculture and agricultural commerce) and organic farming.
He called upon the government to formulate policies promoting chemical-free farming, a disease-free society and nutritious food, according to the organisation.
All India organising secretary Dinesh Kulkarni said giving recognition to self-reliant women farmers will automatically enhance the prestige of villages, society and families.
The conference also saw women farmers being felicitated for their work in cow-based agriculture and agricultural commerce, organic farming, seed conservation, animal husbandry, employment generation and food processing.
The BKS said women from different parts of the country attended the event in their traditional regional attire and presented folk songs and cultural dances in their respective languages, showcasing India’s cultural diversity.
Dikshit also said the BKS wants women farmers to discuss both traditional seeds and modern agriculture and link their understanding of soil with issues related to climate.
The conference was held against the backdrop of the United Nations’ declaration of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. PTI ADI RHL
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.