FOCUS ON WOMEN: M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman, MSSRF, and C. K. Gariyali, Secretary to the Governor, at a workshop on Gender Concerns in Food Security at the MSSRF in Chennai on Monday. — Photo: Shaju John

CHENNAI: A National Action and Policy Research Network on Women and Food Security is needed to deal with "all the links of the food chain including the four Cs that women play a role in — conservation, cultivation, consumption and commercialisation," said agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan.

He was speaking at a workshop on gender concerns in food security being held at the M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation on Monday.

PLFs and SHGs

C.K. Gariyali, Secretary to the Governor, pointed to panchayat-level federations (PLFs) of self-help groups as an example of the participatory approach needed in governance and the framing of guidelines. "When 500 women get together, even the men take notice ... they have a say in panchayat-level decisions," she said. There are one thousand active PLFs in the State who play a key role in decision-making in every sphere, from better health services to biodiversity protection.

Dr. Swaminathan said it was important to adopt a women-centric approach in well-funded schemes such as the National Horticulture Mission, Bharat Nirman and the National Rural Health Mission. "There should be focus on women's contributions as well as their needs," he said, pointing out that while women account for 34 per cent of principal agricultural workers and 89 per cent of subsidiary workers, they were often deprived of tools such as land ownership, credit and market linkages.

Group approach

Dr. Gariyali said Tamil Nadu was using a group approach to deal with women farmers not having access to credit because they did not hold titles to the land. "We are trying to provide credit to women's self help groups. They have a good reputation in the south," she said.

Alternative livelihood

In a rain-dependent farming scenario, the Government must take steps to reduce the total dependence on land for food security, said Dr. Gariyali, adding that it was important to provide alternative livelihood options, both farm and non-farm-based, for women in agricultural areas.

Dr. Swaminathan said several of these options should be given importance under the National Rural Employment Generation Programme.

From the current guarantee of "unskilled work," the concept of work, in the case of women, should be widened to include activities such as running creches, noon meal schemes, immunisation programmes and family planning services, he said.

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