Women Must Lead in Agri Policy: President Murmu
President calls for greater role of women in agricultural leadership at global conference in New Delhi
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 12th March: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday called for a greater role for women in policy formulation, decision-making and leadership positions in the agriculture sector, while addressing the inaugural session of the Global Conference on the Role of Women in Agri-Food Systems (GCWAS-2026) in New Delhi.
Highlighting the vital role played by women in agriculture, the President said they contribute significantly across multiple activities including sowing, harvesting, processing and transporting crops to markets.
She noted that women are also actively involved in fisheries, beekeeping, animal husbandry, forest produce utilisation and agriculture-based enterprises, making invaluable contributions to the agricultural economy.
Murmu pointed out that women are increasingly excelling in agricultural education as well.
“Girls constitute over 50 percent of students in state agricultural universities, and in many universities the figure exceeds 60 percent, with many of them demonstrating outstanding academic performance,” she said.
The President emphasised that governments, society and stakeholders must provide adequate support and encouragement to these young women so that they can assume leadership roles in the agricultural sector.
She said that leadership qualities are inherent in motherhood but are often confined to domestic roles due to societal perceptions.
“We must overcome this mindset and move forward with the vision of empowering women farmers to provide leadership,” she said.
Murmu also noted that the United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, calling for collective global action to close gender gaps and promote women’s leadership across agri-food value chains.
Emphasising the concept of women-led development, she said greater participation of women at all levels in agriculture would help ensure gender-inclusive growth in the sector.
The President also highlighted the challenges faced by women farmers, including issues related to formal land ownership, access to technical knowledge, financial resources and institutional support.
She acknowledged the steps taken in India over the past decade to strengthen women’s participation in agriculture through initiatives such as women-led Self-Help Groups and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
Murmu also referred to the global framework that emphasises the importance of People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnerships, urging stakeholders to prioritise gender inclusion under the “People” dimension.
“With effective gender inclusion in agriculture and other sectors, we will not only achieve the Sustainable Development Goals but also create a more balanced and harmonious world,” she said.
The three-day conference GCWAS-2026 is 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 conference aims to strengthen policy frameworks and ecosystems to promote gender participation and highlight the critical role of women in building sustainable and inclusive agri-food systems worldwide.
