“Mahila Kisan Diwas" recognises Women Farmers Oxfam India’s aaroh Campaign was started to establish the identity of WOMEN FARMERS AAROH began on 15th Oct, 2006

1. AAROH
CAMPAIGN
Mobilising women farmers to secure land rights in Uttar Pradesh
(2006-2017)

2. AAROH CAMPAIGN
15th
Oct declared
“Mahila Kisan
Diwas”

3. AAROH CAMPAIGN
• “Mahila Kisan Diwas" recognises
Women Farmers
• Oxfam India’s aaroh
Campaign was started to
establish the identity of WOMEN
FARMERS
• AAROH began on 15th
Oct, 2006

4. AAROH CAMPAIGN
Why this matters:
•74% India’s rural women
workforce are engaged in agriculture as
against 59% of rural male
•Yet they are not recognised as
FARMERS

5. AAROH CAMPAIGN
• only 13% women in India have
operational land ownership …

6. AAROH CAMPAIGN
• but that’s only rural
• In 2001 – 10.9%; in 2005-06 –
11.7% (agri census)
• urban women’s property/ land rights
do not fit into the productivity theorem and hence is mostly
neglected
• ownership data not available as there is no sex-
disaggregated data available

7. Why land rights for women is important
•Women’s ownership of property extends their capabilities,
expands their negotiating power, and enhances
their ability to address vulnerability
•It serves as a critical social protection and a deterrent against gender-
based violence (Sida, 2015)
•Studies show a clear correlation between ownership of
immovable property i.e. land and home and
violence against women
•A study in Kerala showed that 49% women without
property experience physical violence as against 7%
with property (Panda & Agarwal, 2005)

8. Why land rights for women is important
• Women’s right to land has a direct and a positive correlation to
economic empowerment, food security, and
poverty reduction (Sida, 2015)
• Studies corroborate the fact that with equal access to economic resources including land and
agriculture inputs, women’s farm in developing countries
will increase their productivity by 20-30%
• This will increase overall agriculture
production up to 4%
• and pull out nearly 100-150 million people out of
malnourishment (FAO, 2010-11)

9. Why land rights for women is important
• Since women do not own land, they have limited access
to govt. schemes, credit and new
technology
• This limits their agricultural productivity
• In states with high migration, role of women is crucial
• Suicide by women farmers’ does not count

10. Why land rights for women is important
• It fits the SDG bill…
• One of the targets set for the countries to achieve by
2030 is that women secure access to and control over
land
• This is key under both Goal 2 and Goal 5
• SDG 2: ‘end hunger, achieve food security and
improved nutrition, and promote sustainable
agriculture’
• SDG 5: ‘achieving gender equality and empowering all
women and girls’
• women is important

11. How AAROH began
2006
•Oxfam wanted to improve access to land
and resources for women farmers in UP
•Oxfam India and Gorakhpur Environmental Action
Group (GEAG) conducted a study to
understand whether government
schemes actually reached women
farmers in UP

12. How AAROH began
Study showed:
•56% of agricultural work done by women (men 5.5%)
•4% women had access to kisaan credit card
•6% women owned land
*81% were widows & 19% were single child
•Only 4% women took decisions related to farming
•28% women could decide on sales of crops
•92% women did only farm work through the year; yet only 8% could spend
the income as they wanted
Need felt to assert rights and demand justice for women
farmers’ in the state

13. AAROH CAMPAIGN
2006
•AAROH begins in 5 Gram Panchayats in 50 districts*
•AAROH was led by GEAG (Eastern UP) in coordination with 4
NGOs – Vinobha Seva Ashram (Rohilkhand in N-W UP), Disha
(Western UP), Pani (Central UP), and Samarpan (Bundelkhand)
•Oxfam India has supported AAROH since the beginning

14. AAROH CAMPAIGN (2006-
08)
• AAROH Mahila Kisaan Manch formed in
each GP (2006-07)
• State-level steering committee formed to lead the Campaign
(2006-07)
• Padyatra held; 43000 women participated, 15000 men
came out in their support (2007)*
• Women farmers came out in bullock carts for this
Padyatra

15. AAROH impact (2006-08)
• Farm tools and implements were provided at subsidised rate
• Women farmers identified for exposure visits to agri. inst. in Delhi
and Uttarakhand
• They became members of the Agriculture Technology Management
Agency (ATMA) Board. There are 32 AAROH MKM
members, from 23 districts, on board at present
• Women farmers were now beginning to be recognised as Mahila
Kisaan
• They were invited for panel discussions on agriculture
• Faizabad DM issues executive order that wife should be a co-
signatory in any land sale (2008)

16. AAROH CAMPAIGN (2009-
11)
• discussions begin around joint land titles
• gaining access to credit remained a problem; eligibility
was land ownership
• women and men had to be convinced
• 6800 men demanded ease of transfer of land titles to
joint titles (2009); Another padyatra with 7500 women
demanding joint land titles (2011)
• Jan Sunwais held; fact finding report on status of
women farmers shared with the government (2010-11)
• 1st
women farmers’ Parliament held in UP (2009)

17. AAROH IMPACT (2009-11)
• MS Swaminathan initiated the Women Farmers’
Entitlement Bill, 2011
• This was a private member bill in Rajya Sabha
• This resonated with the AAROH Campaign
• It demanded land rights for women
farmers and easy access to credit and
institutions

18. AAROH campaign (2012-16)
• Vidhayak Samvaad Yatra (dialogue with
MLAs) held (2012-13) - 25 MLAs issued a statement supporting
AAROH
• 3 MKM members felicitated for their contribution to
food production (2012)
• Women’s Property Rights Campaign organised
by Oxfam India
• Hal Nikalo Campaign held; 110,000 women farmers
participated
• ‘Gram Sabha to Vidhan Sabha’ rally held

19. AAROH campaign (2012-16)
• UN declared 2014 International Year of
Family Farming
• Over 100,000 women farmers write to
the UN Secretary- General with two
demands
• Observe Women Farmers Day
• Declare national and international
award for women farmers

20. AAROH campaign (2012-16)
• 5-point DEMAND DOCKET sent to
UP Assembly in 2012
– co-ownership of agriculture land
– waiver of stamp duty on transfer of land
within the family
– Easy access to credit for women through
spouse’s KCC
– 33% reservations to women farmers under
government scheme
– 50% reservation in govt and agri-related
institutions

21. AAROH campaign (2012-16)
• The Uttar Pradesh government in March 2015 took the
initiative to waive off the stamp duty charged during
land transfer between next of kin and spouses
• The UP assembly set up a committee to assess the
revenue losses that the state will incur by waiving off
the stamp duty

22. AAROH impact
Latest study shows
•18.7% women farmers are land owners; of these 86% own
agricultural land
•29% women farmers have bought land; 65% inherited
•25% women have kisaan credit card
•92% women have access to farm loans
•19% women farmers took decision on the purchase and sale of
livestock; 17% joint decision; 64% men
•5% women knew about Mandis
•10% women decided on purchase and sale of land; 56% joint
decision; 26% men.

23. AAROH impact
Today 9615 women are
members of the AAROH
MAHILA KISAAN
MANCH

24. AAROH CAMPAIGN

25. AAROH CAMPAIGN

26. AAROH CAMPAIGN

27. Mahila bhi kisaan hai,
yehi desh kee shan hai