The emerging significance of addressing gender issues and the UN 5th Sustainable Developmental Goal: “Gender Equality” has drawn the women farmers in the limelight of development. With the prevailing trend of feminization of agriculture, the changing socio-cultural-economic scenario of our country has realized the significance of women empowerment in agriculture. As a result, there have been several facilities created to uplift the socio-economic status of women farmers. In this direction ICAR-CIWA has initiated an innovative approach of establishing a Women Farmers’ Club i.e., ‘Sashakti Krishirat Mahila Club’ at its premises. ,The Women Farmers’ Club of ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (ICAR-CIWA), Bhubaneswar will be an informal and non-political organization under the Patronage of ICAR-CIWA to address the issues related to agriculture and allied activities. This club will play a pivotal role for technology dissemination by ensuring creative and active participation of various stakeholders. The basic idea is to bring women farmers together and discuss their problems, solutions and new agricultural practices. This initiative will help in overall adoption of better farming practices.

In this regard, a sensitization-cum-inception meeting of the Sashakti Krishirat Mahila Club was organised on 2 November 2023 at ICAR-CIWA to Mobilize, Monitor and Motivate (3M's) the women farmers for establishment of the club. In this programme, twenty three women leaders from adopted MGMG and project villages have participated. They belonged to the Kadua, Sagada, Balanga, Sahadapada, Dubuduba villages of Puri district and Sankilo, Tentalpur and Baliapada districts of Cuttack district. Dr. Mridula Devi, Director, ICAR-CIWA highlighted the importance of farmers clubs in mobilizing farm women to steer forward them towards social, technological and economical empowerment. She urged the women farmers to be associated with the club and she advised them to motivate the fellow women in their respective villages to become the members of the club so that there will be an active sharing of experiences, knowledge and ideas among them. The process of registration and the functionalities of the Sashakti Krishirat Mahila Club was explained to the women farmers. A demonstration of the bioresource and mushroom production was also organised for the benefit of the farm women. The programme was co-ordinated by Dr Lipi Das, Dr. B. Sahoo and Dr. Tanuja S.