Strategies that took women’s needs into account and worked directly with the women made big impacts. The women were empowered to take charge of their lives and reduce the vulnerability of the communities living in these harsh environments.

1. Women Leaders
Story of Rameshwari Devi
Strategies that took women’s needs into account and worked directly with the women made big
impacts. The women were empowered to take charge of their lives and reduce the vulnerability
of the communities living in these harsh environments.
Photo: Prashant Panjiar

2. The Thar desert covers 60% of the state of Rajasthan, India. Food, fodder and water are
perennially in short supply. Women trek miles to fetch water which may not even be fresh
water, but brackish instead. Cattle perish due to lack of fodder and migration is a common
coping strategy to supplement household incomes.
Photo: Amit Chakravarty, ICRISAT

3. Rameshwari Devi gets up at 4 am to fetch brackish water from a source 3-4 kms away. “We use
brackish water for cooking and other needs,” she says. There is no fresh water source nearby.
Across India it is estimated women spend 150 million work days every year fetching water. (unwater.org)
Photo: Prashant Panjiar

4. “If it rains then there is fodder for the animals. Else they will die. One maund (40 kg) of
fodder costs ₹400 (USD 6.6) which is very expensive,” says Rameshwari Devi.
Photo: Amit Chakravarty, ICRISAT

5. She grows bajra (pearl millet), moth beans, til (sesame), and moong (pulses) but cannot
produce enough to sell in the market. She has a small kitchen garden where she grows
palak (spinach), muli (radish) and dhaniya (coriander).
Photo: Prashant Panjiar

6. To improve nutrition and supplement livelihoods, fruit trees have been provided to Rameshwari
Devi and other women. “These trees will not only provide nutrition but if there is a good
harvest we can also sell in the market,” she says.
Photo: Prashant Panjiar

7. A taanka (traditional water harvesting system) has a catchment area to collect rain water and
store it underground. But they had fallen into disuse. Based on scientific inputs the taankas
were revived and modernized. This can mitigate the water crisis faced by the community.
Scientific solutions, by addressing basic concerns, are providing hope to marginal communities.
Photo: Prashant Panjiar

8. As president of the self-help group, set up under the project, Rameshwari Devi plans to
start livelihood activities for women. The group has petitioned the local government
authorities to lay a water pipeline to their village. She is working to improve the anganwadi
(child day-care centre run by the government) in her village.
Photo: Prashant Panjiar

9. Rameshwari Devi has been instrumental in encouraging other women in her village to be
part of the project.
Photo: Prashant Panjiar

10. Photo: Prashant Panjiar
Women and scientists working together have helped reduce risks and provide hope for
the community.
Story: Amit Chakravarty

11. Project Team
Project Title:
CRP 1.1 on Dryland Systems: Integrated Agriculture
Production System for the Poor and Vulnerable
Funded by: