The Central Institute for Women in Agriculture conducted the Online Workshop of ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Women in Agriculture on 24 April, 2020. The online workshop was organized to contain the spread of the deadliest Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19).

The programme commenced with the welcome address by Dr. Lipi Das, Nodal Officer, AICRP on Women in Agriculture. She highlighted the importance of this online meeting for getting constructive ideas to restructure the activities of AICRP on Women in Agriculture. She also appraised about the activities taken up by the AICRP scientists specially the coping strategies being followed by the farm women and the Psychological distress of urban women during COVID 19.

At the outset Dr. S. K. Srivastava, Director, ICAR-CIWA applauded the efforts of the scientists of AICRP for contributing in the nations fight against COVD-19 by mass producing hand sanitizers, masks, PPEs and distributing them among the staff of universities, farm women and rural families through various Women SHGs. He also enlisted the achievements viz., patents filed and granted, research articles published, technologies commercialized etc. of 13 AICRP centres and formulation of five new programmes.

Dr. P. S. Pandey, Assistant Director General (EP&HS), ICAR pointed out the lack of data on the women in agriculture and the need for central repository of the data generated from all the centers. He suggested that this repository may further be used for formulated projects and policy recommendations. He urged for change of mindset of the scientists and reshaping the activities for AICRP on Women in Agriculture in a collaborative manner and insisted to follow the recommendations of the QRT.

The Deputy Director General (Agril. Education) Dr. R. C. Agrawal interacted with the AICRP scientists and appreciated the activities carried out by AICRP scientists during lock down period emphasized such activities should be quantified with proper documentation. He expressed the need to work in collaboration with International Organization like IFPRI, other ICAR Institutes both in Community Science and Agriculture for effective coordinated approach to reach out to the farmwomen in an integrated way with synergy for all round sustainable development.

Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, DARE & DG, ICAR in his address through Video Conferencing expressed his appreciation to all scientists and especially majority of them being women they have fulfilled not only duties at home for tending the family but also contributing to the women in agriculture and the issues of farm sector by working efficiently through this lockdown due to COVID-19. He emphasized on the importance of proper documentation, capitalize on the strength of the schemes and popularization through social media like DD Kisan. There is a need to define our stakeholders “women in agriculture” whether they include farm laborer, Cultivator, entrepreneurs etc? Data need to collected and analyzed for deriving the definition as said by Dr. Mohapatra. He urged all the AICRP scientists to not to work in isolation rather by coordination with all sectors so that our farm women can get maximum benefits. He also put a stress for developing a framework to make ICAR-CIWA a Global Institute.

During the interaction session with Hon’ble DG, ICAR various research achievements viz., various Apps on managements of diabetes, parenting, menopause and health management, management of water shortages and anemia in young girl; commercialized technologies i.e., high fiber mix, sanitary napkins from organically extracted fibers, low glycemic index rice products, etc. were highlighted. These technologies need to be popularized in other states and government programmes through commercialization and also the Companies manufacturing the commercialized technologies need to be included in GEM so that they can supply to government systems.

Around 65 participants involving the Unit and Technical Coordinators, Scientists from 13 AICRP Centres and also from AICRP unit, ICAR-CIWA, Bhubaneswar were participated in the deliberations and interaction of this online workshop.