As part of my duties, we have to conduct training programmes, Model courses for farmers as well as for the field functionaries/trainers. It is common to see, these programmes are dominated by males. However, in one of the recent Model training courses for Field Veterinarians, we found 4-5 women vets coming from a single state, Kerala. I asked the reason that only women nominated from the state, while mostly male vets travel to distances for these trainings. They shared that they themselves took the lead this time and got themselves nominated for the training and the department was also supportive on the matter. My idea of narrating this is to highlight women themselves will have to take lead surpassing their limitations as the programmes and schemes alone may not be helpful. The AEAS often find it handy to handle male participants as with women there are several domestic commitments as narrated well here, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/20…
Its a question of mindset, unless specifically called for, the AEAS personnel don't make efforts to ensure women participation. To start with, the AEAS personnel may be incentivized for encouraging women to participate in capacity building programmes, skill trainings. Women extension agents could be better suited to engage to serve women farmers. In case of dairy Cooperatives, we saw, women supervisors were appointed in Rajasthan as elsewhere too in India, especially in All women dairy Cooperatives. These women supervisors could interact well with women compared to their male counterparts. Often we saw them chatting with rural women right inside their kitchens, where, they were able to discuss many of their problems with the comparatively aware supervisors. Women have manifold questions to seek answers for, beyond farm too and often they don't have channels to seek answers to these queries. These women supervisors mingle well with rural women and able to advise them on matters concerned with including their health, thrifts, children's education etc. The Home science graduates including those qualified in Food and Nutrition having good knowledge of nutrition in general and nutrition for women and children in particular could be roped in as extension agents to educate rural women on importance of good nutrition, while linking it with nutrition sensitive agricultural production practices.
Dr. Mahesh Chander