Finance
The President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu graced and addressed the inaugural session of the Global Conference on the Role of Women in Agri-Food Systems (GCWAS-2026) in New Delhi today (March 12, 2026).
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that women play a vital role in all agricultural activities, including sowing, harvesting, processing, and transporting crops to markets. They work tirelessly in many areas, including fisheries, beekeeping, animal husbandry, the proper utilization of forest produce, and the operation of agriculture-based enterprises. Women make invaluable contributions to the agricultural economy.
The President underlined that girls constitute over 50 percent of the total students in state agricultural universities, and over 60 percent in many universities. These girls also exhibit excellent academic performance. She emphasised that it is the responsibility of the government, society, and all stakeholders in the agricultural sector to provide every possible support and encouragement to these promising girls to enable them to lead in the fields of agriculture and food grains. She said that leadership is inherent in motherhood. However, motherhood is often considered to be in the confines of home. We must overcome this mindset and move forward with the vision of empowering women farmers to provide leadership.
The President said that the United Nations has declared the year 2026 as ‘The International Year of the Woman Farmer’. This declaration calls for collective action to close gender gaps and promote leadership roles for women across agri-food value chains.
The President said that it is important to encourage leadership among women who are engaged in agriculture, specially agri-food systems. She underlined that India is moving forward with the idea of women-led development. She stated that women in agriculture sector should have a greater role in policy formulation, decision-making and leadership positions. Larger participation of women at all levels in the sector will promote gender-inclusive agricultural growth.
The President said that women farmers should be helped in issues concerning formal land titles, technical knowledge, financial resources and other support systems. She was happy to note that during the past decade, India has taken several steps to empower women in agriculture. She stated that initiatives promoting women-led Self-Help Groups and Farmer Producer Organisations have been effective in promoting women empowerment in agriculture.
The President said that there is a global consensus on giving equal importance to People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnerships. She urged all the stakeholders that, on the dimension of ‘People’, gender should be given special priority in thought and action. She said that with effective gender-inclusion in every sphere of activity, including agriculture, we will not only achieve the SDGs but will also make the ‘Planet’, a much more sensitive and harmonious place. She expressed confidence that the participants in this Global Conference will find pathways for driving progress and attaining new heights.
The GCWAS-2026 is being jointly organised by the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA). The three-day Conference aims to deliberate on strengthening policy frameworks and ecosystems to mainstream gender participation and highlight the indispensable role of women in building sustainable and inclusive agri-food systems.
Please click here to see the President’s Speech-
Source: PIB
