2009 Global Hunger Index - International Food Policy Research ...

Betiya Soren
Informally working mother, Sarwan
Anita Hembram
Informally working mother, Sarwan
Sonamuni Murmu
Informally working mother, Sarwan
Gita Devi
Informally working mother, Sarwan
Birma Devi
Informally working mother, Sarwan
These data and assessments also permit insights into the linkage be-
tween hunger and the lack of equal rights. The local people’s perspec-
tives are crucial here: it is clear that improving the position of women
in society plays an important role in increasing food security.
Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical
and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to
meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy
life (FAO, World Food Summit, 1996). In rural India, women play a
central role at these levels of food security – availability, access, and
utilisation.
Gender equality supports food availability at the household level
In rural areas of the Indian state of Jharkhand (India State Hunger Index
1 score: 28.67; severity of hunger: alarming), about half of all men
and women work on small family farms; 41% of women and 27% of
men work as agricultural labourers. Many agricultural tasks that even
a few years ago were the responsibility of men are now taken on by
women because men are switching to better-paid wage labour. This
“feminisation of agriculture” can be observed across India.
Policy-making is slow to take this development into account,
though, and support for women in agriculture is accordingly being
granted only hesitantly. Experiences and studies suggest, however,
that equal access to education and agricultural resources can increase
productivity by ten to 20% (see page 22). This aspect plays an important
role in the Millenniumsdorf of Sarwan: women receive support
and training to improve agricultural cultivation methods. In addition,
they have the option to purchase better seed and equipment, for example,
via self-help credit groups.
Betiya Soren from Sarwan learned in a group setting how to
use her land more efficiently: “Very recently we also got some irrigation
facilities and learned about improving farming through our group
meetings. We are growing vegetables on our homestead and using
them for our daily consumption.” Anita Hembram in turn is not only
growing more vegetables for her family’s consumption, but is also increasing
her income: “We women were working as agricultural labourers,
but different meetings held in the village have changed our mindset.
I was not growing anything near my homestead land, but last year
I started to produce some vegetables for us to have in our food. I also
sell them on the local market if we have extra production. This also
has given me some income occasionally.”
36 Women’s Role in Tackling Hunger | Chapter 05 | 2009 Global Hunger Index