Dr.
V. Prakash, Director
MYSORE – 570 013
On a day like 8th March, we always address
ourselves into the various problems that the women faces and what needs to be
done so that they are able to fulfill some of the dreams and targets that they
have set forth for themselves in the society’s framework.
Let us examine the opportunities today that come across various women
population especially scientists and technologists.
The list of such women is too long to document but one major resource is
the women who are empowered.
As a matter of fact, when we look at this great opportunity it almost
involves the training of the trainers. Apart from the framework of a large
number of scientists and technologists who have a tremendous opportunity, unlike
other women in the rural side, such already achieved empowerment needs to be
completely and optimally utilized to catalyse those who are not empowered.
If I focus on the agri business right from the
primary processing to secondary processing and to tertiary processing, a
classical example of a success story in the world and as a matter of fact not
only alone in India, is the success of Dairy Industry in India through
empowerment of women. Today India
can proudly say that it is No.1 in milk production and the greater amount of
this credit for this goes to women in the rural areas who have been the
mobiliser, the facilitator and the promoter, apart from consumer.
An example of this kind tells us as to that what is more important is
probably the micro zone capitalizing network as the national agenda to ensure
the integration and sustainability and sustainable consumption which needs to be
market driven and also consumer driven. It
is in this framework that, when we
look at fruits and vegetables in the country as India is trying to be No.1 in
production, we also need to address how we can value add and extend the shelf
life through women entrepreneurship in this area.
A lot of models have come out but, the one model that can really do well
is the empowerment of women through organization such as CFTRI along with
agricultural University network, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, NGO organizations and
agri clinics (the recently announced incentives for such agri clinic) which are
worthy to mention. All this
crystallizes into a major agenda of network to take science and technology to
the villages as a successful venture to prevent food losses on the one side and
to knowledge empowerment on the another side.
My talk will focus on the setting up of Women’s Empowerment Networking Centres (WenC). There is a hope that if couple of thousands of such empowered women in the country can come together, it shall turn this country into a different set up by utilizing the skill of women entrepreneur and the local expertise of women and even reach the remote corners of the country for minimizing food losses and enhancing employment.
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