Annual Report 2009-2010 - Department of Agriculture & Co-operation

24
Gender Perspectives
24.1 In line with the National Agriculture Policy,
2000, policy-level initiatives for gender
mainstreaming are being promoted in the
Department of Agriculture and Cooperation
(DAC), Ministry of Agriculture. The National
Gender Resource Centre for Agriculture (NGRCA)
was set up under the DAC during 2004-05, as
one of the components under the Extension
Support to Central Institutes scheme to serve
as a focal point of convergence for all issues
related to gender in agriculture, and to ensure
that policies in agriculture reflect the national
commitment to women's empowerment.
24.2 The Centre, acting as a focal point for the
convergence of gender related activities and
issues in agriculture and allied sectors under the
DAC, adds a gender dimension to agriculture
policies and programmes, renders advocacy and
advisory services to states and UTs for
internalising gender-specific interventions for
bringing farm women into the mainstream of
agriculture development.
in Agriculture
24.3 To bring gender concerns on to the
centre-stage in all aspects of public expenditure
and policy, a Gender Budgeting Cell (GBC) has
been constituted in the DAC to look into the
budgetary commitments of various schemes of
the DAC, and ensure a proportionate flow of
public expenditure benefiting women farmers.
It has been mandated that a minimum of 30 per
cent of funds would be utilised for women
farmers under all the beneficiary-oriented
programmes and schemes. Division-wise
identified nodal officers/gender coordinators
have been sensitised about the concept of
gender budgeting.
24.4 Besides promoting the mainstreaming of
gender issues, the NGRCA has also taken other
initiatives, which include:
Undertaking macro/micro-level and action
research studies in critical thrust areas,
including the assessment of gender
content and the impact of various
Gender Perspectives in Agriculture
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