ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar in collaboration with MANAGE, Hyderabad organized an on-line collaborative Training Programme on “Gender-Sensitive Agri-Horti based Dimensions for addressing Livelihood, Nutrition and Entrepreneurship” during 15-19 January, 2024. The training programme was intended to enhance the knowledge and skill of extension functionaries on gender sensitive approaches and technologies in agriculture and horticulture sectors for improving livelihood, enhancing nutrition and promoting agri-preneurship among rural farm women. The training encompassed lectures from five major domains, viz., Gender-sensitive and gender-centric extension approaches in disseminating agri-horti technologies among farm women; Innovative production technologies in agricultural and horticultural crops for enhanced productivity and profitability; Nutri-sensitive agri-horti technologies, farming models, value addition for enhancing family nutrition; Secondary agriculture and value addition in agriculture and horticulture sectors for entrepreneurship development among farm women and Agripreneurship promotion through formation of Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs), multi-stakeholder convergence, market and industrial linkages. The training comprised of 20 lectures including 8 lectures from Guest Experts from various ICAR organizations, viz., IARI, New Delhi; IIHR, Bengaluru; CISH, Lucknow; CIFE, Mumbai, NAARM, Hyderabad; IIWM, Bhubaneswar and MANAGE, Hyderabad.
Participants gained insights into fundamental concepts of Gender, the pivotal role of ICAR-CIWA in promoting gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment, and efforts to enhance gender economic equity. The program also delved into Gender-disaggregated databases and Women-inclusive extension approaches, offering participants a deeper understanding of the actual involvement of farm women in agriculture and the imperative to mainstream their contributions. The curriculum further encompassed pressing issues faced by farm women, including the impact of climate change and the pursuit of nutrition security through agri-nutrition linkages. Noteworthy initiatives such as Nutri-Smart villages and strategies for income enhancement through value addition were integral components of the course outline. Moreover, the course addressed the challenges of drudgery faced by women farmers and explored methods of alleviation through mechanization. Women-friendly technologies in both field crops and horticulture were extensively elaborated upon to provide participants with comprehensive knowledge. Particular attention was given to effective approaches such as Participatory Communication for a Gendered perspective, and the course also covered the integration of digitization in agriculture through artificial intelligence and ICT methodologies. These components collectively enriched the program, ensuring a well-rounded exploration of crucial topics in the realm of gender, agriculture, and empowerment. More than 90 participants had attended the on-line training, including international participation from Uganda, Africa. Overall, the training consisted of several interactive sessions, presentations, open discussions, which enabled the participants to enhance their existing knowledge and experience in agriculture extension and development. The training received an overall rating of 9.2 on a 10-point scale, as reflected in the online feedback submitted by the participants. The training was successfully organized by Dr. Ankita Sahu, Scientist (ICAR-CIWA) and Dr. Veenita Kumari, Deputy Director (Gender Studies) MANAGE, Hyderabad, as Course Directors along with Dr. Lipi Das, Principal Scientist and Dr. Tania Seth, Scientist as Course Co-coordinators.
