Varsity hosts seminar on importance of gender-responsive agri labour
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, hosted an ICSSR-sponsored National Seminar on ‘Vision Viksit Bharat 2047: Shaping Gender-Responsive Agricultural Labour for a Sustainable Future’ today at the Conference Hall of Dr Manmohan Singh Auditorium, PAU. The seminar provided a platform for eminent academicians, policymakers, and experts to deliberate on gender inclusivity in agriculture and its impact on sustainability.
The presidential address by chief guest Dr AS Dhatt, Director of Research, PAU, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to gender-inclusive agricultural policies and sustainable development. He emphasised that while women constituted a significant portion of the agricultural workforce, their contributions often remained undervalued and under-represented in policy frameworks. He highlighted the need for a paradigm shift in agricultural policies that moved beyond traditional support mechanisms and actively empowered women through education, skill development, and financial inclusion. Dr Dhatt stressed that technology adoption in agriculture should be made more accessible to women, ensuring that farm mechanisation and digital tools were tailored to their needs. He advocated for capacity-building programmes that equipped women farmers with scientific knowledge and technical skills, allowing them to transition from being agricultural labourers to agri-entrepreneurs.
The event commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and a floral welcome of the chief guest, along with esteemed guests of honour, including Dr MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education, PAU; Dr HS Sabhikhi, Deputy Director, PAU-KVK Patiala; Dr RS Grewal, Director of Extension Education, GADVASU; Dr Parwinder Sheoran, Director, ICAR-ATARI Zone 1; Dr Neelam Grewal, Former Vice-Chancellor, Guru Kashi University, Bathinda; Dr Komila Parthi, Associate Professor, PG Department of Psychology, Punjab University; and Dr Harprit Kaur, Director, Women Studies Centre, Punjabi University, Patiala.
Welcoming the dignitaries, Dr Gurupdesh Kaur, Principal Investigator and Professor, PAU-KVK Patiala, provided an overview of the project, setting the stage for in-depth discussions.
Delivering the opening remarks, Dr Bhullar emphasised the need for gender-sensitive policies in agricultural labour. He highlighted that the PAU had secured six ICSSR projects, including two led by the Directorate of Extension Education, reflecting the university’s commitment to impactful research. He also stressed the importance of recent agricultural policies that supported free education for women labourers, skill development for subsidiary occupations, and access to credit facilities. Additionally, he proposed that panchayat land in villages be leased to landless women labourers for enterprise development, fostering financial independence. He expressed hope that the seminar would generate recommendations to further refine policies for women’s empowerment in agriculture.
Following his address, Dr Grewal lauded the PAU’s efforts in conducting a seminar on a theme often overlooked by technical universities—gender sensitisation, especially concerning women labourers. He emphasised the critical role of women in the livestock sector, noting that women were often quicker to adopt and implement new technologies than men, highlighting the need to further strengthen the female agricultural workforce.
Dr Kiran Bains supported the discussion with statistical evidence, demonstrating how women’s education and financial independence directly contributed to a nation’s economic growth. While India made policy commitments toward gender equity, she stressed that policymakers needed to consider socio-cultural factors to effectively address challenges faced by women in agriculture.
Dr Parwinder Sheoran remarked that a one-day seminar was not sufficient to address the vast issue of gender disparity in agriculture. He pointed out that women represented nearly 75 per cent of the rural workforce, yet their contributions remained significantly under-represented in official data. Given their deep understanding of the sector, he emphasised the need for more inclusive policies and long-term interventions.
