Staff Reporter :
Around one crore women now working in the field of agricultural are deprived of state recognition, though they are playing vital role to country’s “meet food security and economic development.”
The government has a policy to give incentive to the farmers, but the women farmers do not get the facility due to absence of acknowledgment by the state. In this situation, evaluation of women’s role and their recognition are needed in urgent basis to establish equal rights of man and woman.
The above demands were raised at a press conference-titled: “Evaluation of women’s role in the agri-sector and their recognition, women’s equal right in land and ensuring women-friendly atmosphere in market management”-held at Liberation War Museum in the city’s Segunbagicha on Thursday.
Executive director of Nari Maitree Shaheen Akter presented the key-note paper in the programme that was jointly organized by Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha [BNPS] and Nari Maitree. The key-note paper said: around 1.30cr extra manpower was included in the last ten years to take part in the economic activities. Of them, 50 lakh are women workers.
As per a study, out of 1.20cr women workers 77% are rural women, who are mainly involved in agriculture, animal husbandry, duck and chicken farming, fish farming, etcetera. And in the last ten years, the number of women workers has reached at one crore.
The paper also read: It’s a matter of great regret that, the women workers are getting fewer wage in comparison with male workers despite frequent participation of women in the development sector. At present, a woman gets 41% fewer wages than a man. For that reason, the women’s contribution in fighting hunger is not getting recognition. Their [women] achievements in the field of agriculture are being misevaluated like other personal and social achievements.
Not only that, the women are also deprived from equal rights in the land. They have to face various obstacles in entering the markets too. If the government wants to keep continuing the trend of progress and development, it will have to take initiatives to drive out these obstacles against women.
Taking part in the discussion, Dr Asaduzzamn said: “The contribution of women in the rural economy is 57%, where men’s contribution is 43%. But they [women] do not get recognition from state. The government failed to establish a link between women’s labour in agri-field and the state policy. For that reason, no woman farmer got a single card whereas the government had distributed 1.39cr ‘farmer cards’ in 2015.”
On the other hand, women leader Rokeya Kabir said: “The reason behind the non-acceptance of women’s contribution in agriculture is nothing but usual male dominating outlook and common trend to neglecting women’s expertise in this social structure.” “Usually, women’s contribution is seemed to be worthless. But there is no alternative, but to pay recognition to women’s input for developing a sustainable earning structure in the country,” she opined. Presided over by BNPS Executive Director Rokeya Kabir, the press conference was also addressed by honourary fellow of BIDS Dr M Asaduzzaman, Senior Policy Officer of Oxfam Mehbuba Yasmin and BNPS Deputy Director Shahnaz Sumi.
