Minister for Food and Civil Supplies P. Venkataramanan said on Saturday that the Tamil Nadu government was working to improve women’s participation in the workforce, particularly in rural areas, and strengthen nutrition programmes by promoting protein-rich foods and traditional millets.
Speaking at the valedictory session of a two-day conference at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), he said the government hoped to discuss measures to incentivise women’s land ownership and strengthen their land rights, either during the ongoing Budget session or the next.
Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson, MSSRF, said the conference was on building gender-just food and land and water systems, and it was convened against the backdrop of the United Nations’ International Year of the Woman Farmer, a landmark global observance that recognises the indispensable contributions of women to agriculture, fisheries, pastoralism, biodiversity conservation, food and nutrition security, and sustainable rural livelihoods.
Kanta Singh, Deputy Country Representative, UN Women India Country Office, said gender should be mainstreamed across agriculture and the entire food value chain, even as targeted programmes continue to address specific gaps faced by women. She also stressed the need to strengthen markets for women-led commodities, such as millets and vegetables, and involve the private sector, saying that gender-responsive interventions presented both a responsibility and a commercial opportunity.
Among those present were Purvi Mehta, Member, Board of Trustees, MSSRF, who joined virtually, N.R. Bhanumurthy, Director, Madras School of Economics, Chennai, and E.D. Israel Oliver King, Director, Biodiversity, MSSRF.
Published - August 08, 2026 11:14 pm IST
Source: The Hindu - India News
