Men and women were interacted for introducing potato in the system

Abstract

A meeting was organized with 35 farmers of Maan Sagar to apprise them of the project on cultivating potato in their exiting cropping to generated more income to improve their livelihood. Women from farming families were also invited for the meeting but due to work stress and cultural norms they could not attend the meeting except two women. It was first experience of two women to attend a big gathering of men. We could convince and motivate the elders of the girl’s family that now she has to work and to be prepared to organize the meetings for women of the village. Another woman who attended the meeting was an old lady of the house, where this meeting was being conducted. The participation of women has been ensured by empowering women with the inputs such as seed and other inputs etc. One meeting was exclusively held for women only. Fourteen women attended meeting. To ensure full participation of women, CIP followed the corrective measures and informed the group that the 25 bags of potato seed will be given in the name of women of the family provided they attend all the meetings and participatory trainings. Later on both 14 women and 25 men of the village groped together, who showed the interest to grow potatoes in their fields. Cecilia Turin, gender specialist from CIP-Lima visited the DS-site on 14th April 2015 after she attended CRP DS 2nd Science and Implementation meeting which was held at ICRISAT Headquarter. A PRA meeting was organized with the youth and farmers of the village to know about the resources, culture, farming systems etc. and role of women in the family and agricultural system.