Gender equality is indeed highly required for suastainable land use and food security. Though women do 60-70 percent of agricultural works and contribute immensely to food and nutritional security of the nation, however, they still have limited access to land and rarely involved in decission making process on land. They are less aware of laws or policy provisions and mostly governed by informal customary arrangements which in most cases found discriminatory. Much of this is because of their position in the society. The road to food security of women is always critical for both women producers and consumers. All they need is fair and equitable access. ownership and control over land, equal participatin in household's decissions and fair access to information about laws and policies meant for their welfare.
The efforts or initiatives of several Indian states around secure and equitable land tenure is being appreciated everywhere. Odisha is one of them which has gone a mile ahead by making provisions for joint titling of land in land grant schemes such as Vasundhara, GKP and dafayati patta. It is also one of the leading Indian states in terms of providing highest number of Individual Forest Rights to tribals under Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. Under Forest Right Act, 2006 joint titling of land is mandatory. Here two issues need to be discussed. Firstly, the provision of joint titling or individual titles to single women (deserted, widow, unmarried and physically handicapped) in case of homestaed lands, can help in reducing their vulnerability to social threats and encourage particiaption in decission making on land as a title holder. This can ensure better food security among women and choldren at the household level. On the other side, women's owneship over agricultural and forest lands can encourage better food production as well social security of women.
Further, Odisha State Policy for Girls and Women, 2014 has made provisions for prioving cultivable lands on lease to SHG women members on a very nominal rate to increase food production. Simillar oer even better progarmmes are in practice in some other Indian states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal.
As climate change is adversely affecting agriculture, there is urgent need to address the conerns of gender inequaliy though policy and institutional reforms. Further, women's improved access and ownership over land can significantly contribute in reducing conflicts and vulnerability.
Gender equality is indeed highly required for suastainable land use and food security. Though women do 60-70 percent of agricultural works and contribute immensely to food and nutritional security of the nation, however, they still have limited access to land and rarely involved in decission making process on land. They are less aware of laws or policy provisions and mostly governed by informal customary arrangements which in most cases found discriminatory. Much of this is because of their position in the society. The road to food security of women is always critical for both women producers and consumers. All they need is fair and equitable access. ownership and control over land, equal participatin in household's decissions and fair access to information about laws and policies meant for their welfare.
The efforts or initiatives of several Indian states around secure and equitable land tenure is being appreciated everywhere. Odisha is one of them which has gone a mile ahead by making provisions for joint titling of land in land grant schemes such as Vasundhara, GKP and dafayati patta. It is also one of the leading Indian states in terms of providing highest number of Individual Forest Rights to tribals under Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. Under Forest Right Act, 2006 joint titling of land is mandatory. Here two issues need to be discussed. Firstly, the provision of joint titling or individual titles to single women (deserted, widow, unmarried and physically handicapped) in case of homestaed lands, can help in reducing their vulnerability to social threats and encourage particiaption in decission making on land as a title holder. This can ensure better food security among women and choldren at the household level. On the other side, women's owneship over agricultural and forest lands can encourage better food production as well social security of women.
Further, Odisha State Policy for Girls and Women, 2014 has made provisions for prioving cultivable lands on lease to SHG women members on a very nominal rate to increase food production. Simillar oer even better progarmmes are in practice in some other Indian states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal.
http://wcdodisha.gov.in/sites/default/files/pdf/Odisha%20State%20Policy%...
As climate change is adversely affecting agriculture, there is urgent need to address the conerns of gender inequaliy though policy and institutional reforms. Further, women's improved access and ownership over land can significantly contribute in reducing conflicts and vulnerability.