T.N. to focus on strengthening women’s land rights, says Food and Civil Supplies Minister

Tamil Nadu's Food and Civil Supplies Minister, P. Venkataramanan, announced on Saturday that the state government aims to bolster women's land rights and ownership in the coming budget session or the next. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance women's participation in the workforce, particularly in rural areas, and strengthen existing nutrition programs by promoting protein-rich foods and traditional millets.

Venkataramanan made these remarks at the conclusion of a two-day conference at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). The conference aimed to develop strategies for creating gender-just food and land and water systems, in line with the United Nations' International Year of the Woman Farmer, an important global event highlighting women's crucial roles in agriculture, fisheries, pastoralism, biodiversity conservation, food and nutrition security, and sustainable rural livelihoods.

Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of MSSRF, emphasized the importance of mainstreaming gender across the entire agricultural and food value chain, while also acknowledging the need to target specific gaps faced by women. Kanta Singh, Deputy Country Representative of UN Women India, stressed the necessity of strengthening markets for commodities led by women, such as millets and vegetables, and engaging the private sector, underlining that gender-responsive interventions present both a responsibility and a commercial opportunity.

The conference was attended by several key figures, including Purvi Mehta, a member of MSSRF's Board of Trustees, who participated virtually, N.R. Bhanumurthy, Director of the Madras School of Economics in Chennai, and E.D. Israel Oliver King, Director of Biodiversity at MSSRF.