The ISAFIS Gazette #2:On Being Female Farmers in India
In this essay, Armintaetania from ISAFIS’ RnD division celebrates the momentous stepping stone that Indian women farmers were able to achieve during 2021’s International Women’s Day.
Precisely on the 8th of March every year, the world celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD). The purpose of IWD is to honor women’s achievements throughout history. On this day, women also collectively march and fight for gender parity and women’s rights.[1] Women all around the world have different ways to celebrate the 2021 IWD. Indian women celebrated the 2021 IWD by marching to the outskirts of the Indian capital, New Delhi, to join a protest that demanded the government to repeal the newly enacted Farm Laws. These Farm Laws blatantly affect their lives as farmers and as women, and they must do something about it.
The New Farm Laws
In September 2020, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) proposed three farm laws to the Indian Parliament. Despite a very rushed process, these laws somehow were passed.[2] The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, also assented to these laws, thus being enacted. Those three laws are the (1) Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; the (2) Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and the (3) Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.[3]
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act allows farmers to trade freely.[4] Previously, farmers can only sell their products at mandis — wholesale markets where farmers can sell their crops to traders in an open auction. The mandis were overseen by the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) to prevent farmers from being exploited by large retailers by setting the minimum support prices (MSPs).[5] The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act provides contract farming through an agreement that involves farmers and buyers before the production, or rearing, of any farm produce.[6] The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act revised the previous Act that declares the whole commodity as ‘essential’ to make them available at fair prices by regulating the supply. With this amendment to the law, the Indian government will list certain commodities as essential only in cases of extraordinary events, such as war, famine, extreme price rises, or natural calamities.[7]
Overall, these three laws aim to increase efficiency by reducing the government’s role in agriculture and allowing farmers to have greater freedom in selling their crops. However, the farmers said that these reforms would eventually devastate their earnings.[8] They fear that big corporates will exploit the farmers by not paying them with the guaranteed minimum price or even binding them to unfavourable contracts.[9] Furthermore, the new laws made it worse by prohibiting farmers from seeking redress in a regular court if corporates violated the farming contract.[10] Some also argue that these laws favor big corporates by removing restrictions on stockpiling food grain so they will have the capability to create artificial price raising.[11] Consequently, in November 2020, the enraged farmers from all genders, religions, castes, and ages unite and march to New Delhi to pressure the government to repeal the law.[12] Most of them are from Punjab and Haryana, two states that support India’s agriculture the most.[13]
Indian Female Farmers and the New Farm Laws
‘The enraged farmers from all genders’ means that there are not only men doing this protest, but also women. The marching of women farmers to New Delhi on IWD was considered a historical moment. This movement is a huge opportunity to point out the long-entrenched gender inequality in India. Women in India have been experiencing inequality in many aspects of life, from education, health, protection, participation, and many more. Even since birth, they have experienced discrimination. Many girls in India were not expected to be born because of the patriarchal norms that had entrenched in India — where they believe that women are inferior to men.[14] Although this patriarchal society discriminated against women, the truth is: women are the backbone of Indian agriculture, where almost 85% of rural women work in agriculture.[15]
However, with these new enacted Farm Laws, they are even more vulnerable to discrimination and exploitation.[16] Although the Indian government says that these new laws will enable farmers to sell or produce even freely, Indian female farmers will not experience that.[17] Previously, the mandis system did not require women to enter the male-dominated market physically. But with the new law that allows farmers to trade outside the mandis, combined with the long-entrenched gender inequality, female farmers’ access to the markets will be much more limited because they are much less able to travel than men.[18] Women’s access to the legal system in India is also limited. Even worse, under these new laws, women’s ability to resolve agricultural disputes will be far more limited than before, especially for those who lack access to transport and money to travel.[19]
It is unfortunate that women have contributed much to India’s agricultural scene yet still experience discrimination. These long-entrenched patriarchal norms that discriminate against Indian women must end, and the time is now. The 2021 IWD is the exact moment where Indian Women should get out from their houses, lighten up their spirits, and march collectively to protest for their rights. For them, the 2021 IWD is not merely a celebration. It is their chance to prove to the world they can, and they must, do something. By doing this protest, Indian female farmers hope they will be seen and acknowledged as more than just a woman, a wife, and a mother. After all, they contributed a lot to India’s agriculture. They hope that their voices will be heard and, finally, Indian society will be aware of gender equality. This protest made them feel powerful and full of hope that they can see themselves differently beyond their expectations and their veils, and eventually, they will know that they cannot be oppressed.[20]
Arminta is a 2nd year International Relations undergraduate student who loves reading, writing, and watching movies. Most of the time, she always writes fictional stories. Currently, she is trying to write more non-fictional, so she joined ISAFIS’ RnD division, and this is her writing.
REFERENCES
Barrientos, Selena, and Hannah Jeon. “Why International Women’s Day is Celebrated on March 8.” Good Housekeeping. Updated on March 4, 2020. Accessed on March 13, 2021. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a26539742/international-womens-day-march-8/.
Basu, Kaushik. “India’s farm laws are a global problem.” Brookings. Updated on February 19, 2021. Accessed on March 13, 2021. https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/indias-farm-laws-are-a-global-problem/.
Bhowmick, Nilanjana. “’I Cannot be Intimidated. I Cannot be Bought.’ The Women Leading India’s Farmers’ Protests.” Time. Updated on March 4, 2021. Accessed on March 13, 2021. https://time.com/5942125/women-india-farmers-protests/.
Cry. “Gender Inequality.” Cry. Accessed on March 13, 2021. https://www.cry.org/issues-views/gender-inequality#.
Javaid, Arfa. “Farm Laws 2020 Explained: Everything you need to know about the new agriculture reforms in India.” Jagran Josh. Updated on February 6, 2021. Accessed on March 13, 2021. https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/farm-bills-indian-farm-reforms-2020-1606901455-1#.
Kamdar, Bansari. “Women grow as much as 80% of India’s food — but its new farm laws overlook their struggles.” Yahoo! News. Updated on March 11, 2021. Accessed on March 13, 2021. https://news.yahoo.com/women-grow-much-80-indias-133116160.html.
Kurup, Rohini. “Why Are Farmers Protesting in India.” Lawfare. Updated on February 18, 2021. Accessed on March 13, 2021. https://www.lawfareblog.com/why-are-farmers-protesting-india.
Mustafa, Faizan. “An Expert Explains: The arguments for and against the three central farm laws,” Indian Express. Updated on September 29, 2020. Accessed on March 13, 2021. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/an-expert-explains-farm-acts-and-federalism-6622769/.
[1] Selena Barrientos and Hannah Jeon, “Why International Women’s Day is Celebrated on March 8,” Good Housekeeping, updated on March 4, 2020, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a26539742/international-womens-day-march-8/.
[2] Rohini Kurup, “Why Are Farmers Protesting in India,” Lawfare, updated on February 18, 2021, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://www.lawfareblog.com/why-are-farmers-protesting-india.
[3] Arfa Javaid, “Farm Laws 2020 Explained: Everything you need to know about the new agriculture reforms in India,” Jagran Josh, updated on February 6, 2021, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/farm-bills-indian-farm-reforms-2020-1606901455-1#.
[4] Ibid.,
[5] Rohini Kurup, loc. cit.
[6] Arfa Javaid, loc. cit.
[7] Arfa Javaid, “Farm Laws 2020 Explained: Everything you need to know about the new agriculture reforms in India,” Jagran Josh, updated on February 6, 2021, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/farm-bills-indian-farm-reforms-2020-1606901455-1#.
[8] Nilanjana Bhowmick, “’I Cannot be Intimidated. I Cannot be Bought.’ The Women Leading India’s Farmers’ Protests,” Time, updated on March 4, 2021, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://time.com/5942125/women-india-farmers-protests/.
[9] Faizan Mustafa, “An Expert Explains: The arguments for and against the three central farm laws,” Indian Express, updated on September 29, 2020, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/an-expert-explains-farm-acts-and-federalism-6622769/.
[10] Kaushik Basu, “India’s farm laws are a global problem,” Brookings, updated on February 19, 2021, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/indias-farm-laws-are-a-global-problem/.
[11] Ibid.,
[12] Nilanjana Bhowmick, loc. cit.
[13] Rohini Kurup, “Why Are Farmers Protesting in India,” Lawfare, updated on February 18, 2021, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://www.lawfareblog.com/why-are-farmers-protesting-india.
[14] Cry, “Gender Inequality,” Cry, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://www.cry.org/issues-views/gender-inequality#.
[15] Nilanjana Bhowmick, “’I Cannot be Intimidated. I Cannot be Bought.’ The Women Leading India’s Farmers’ Protests,” Time, updated on March 4, 2021, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://time.com/5942125/women-india-farmers-protests/.
[16] Ibid.,
[17] Bansari Kamdar, “Women grow as much as 80% of India’s food — but its new farm laws overlook their struggles,” Yahoo! News, updated on March 11, 2021, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://news.yahoo.com/women-grow-much-80-indias-133116160.html.
[18] Ibid.,
[19] Ibid.,
[20] Nilanjana Bhowmick, “’I Cannot be Intimidated. I Cannot be Bought.’ The Women Leading India’s Farmers’ Protests,” Time, updated on March 4, 2021, accessed on March 13, 2021, https://time.com/5942125/women-india-farmers-protests/.
