Mariyam Tudu, Woman Farmer From Jharkhand, Changes Lives Of Women In Her Village, Here’s How | EXCLUSIVE

What is interesting to note is that Mariam is helping other farmers to access this expertise, encouraging women’s participation in community meetings and increasing livelihood overall through scalable solutions.

New Delhi: As India is observing National Farmers Day on December 23, 2024, it is essential to acknowledge the resilience and grit of women farmers of the country. As the NSSO’s Periodic Labour Force Survey (2022) say, nearly 63% of agricultural workers nationwide are female. They form the backbone of rural economies when male family members migrate to urban cities for work. These women farmers and their contributions, however, remain overlooked and it is critical to bring equal opportunities to them with a multidimensional approach.

Mariyam Tudu – Ray of Hope For Many

Meet Mariyam Tudu, a woman farmer from Belwadag village in Jharkhand, who exemplifies how a community-first solution can change lives at a micro level and also bring together many stakeholders.

Mariyam is a farmer who supports two children and a family of five with the help of a Community Managed Micro Irrigation Scheme (CMMIS). The solar lift irrigation system has become an oasis of hope for farmers like her.

Speaking to India.com, she said, “I remember an instance wherein I was so worried about the electricity bill after using the lift irrigation method. But I soon realised it was free when no bill followed and I can’t begin to explain how wonderful that feeling was,” she said.

Steady Income From Small Piece of Land

Thanks to CMMIS, she has turned her small piece of land into a source of steady income. She now earns over Rs.1.8 lakhs annually and has also formed a water user group (WUG), augmenting the income of other women farmers in her village.

Mariyam learned about CMMIS from i-PFT (Irrigation Project Facilitation Team) members, and with support from Transform Rural India (TRI), a solution designer for rural India, she has now mastered the nuances of affordable water management.

What is interesting to note is that she is also helping other farmers to access this expertise, encouraging women’s participation in community meetings and increasing livelihood overall through scalable solutions.

Active Women’s Participation

During Focus Group Discussions conducted across villages, it emerged that women’s participation has increased by up to 85% in community meetings and decision-making. Additionally, 70% of women leaders were very active and influential with the local authorities (village sarpanch, Panchayat sachiv, ANM (Auxillary Nurse Midwife), Teachers).

Ashok Kumar, the Director of Farm Prosperity at Transform Rural India says, “In rural agriculture, women like Mariyam have displayed immense inventiveness and adaptability and their contribution has become crucial to the prosperity  of their families. Solutions like CMMIS are helping them to protect their farm outputs and manage their resources effectively. They are no longer ready to be invisibilized and are not dependent anymore on their husbands for day-to-day problem-solving. They deserve to be considered as  entrepreneurs and major contributors to the local and  national economy.”