President Smt Murmu graces Conference on the Role of Women in Agri-Food Systems

The President Smt Droupadi Murmu graces Global Conference on the Role of Women in Agri-Food Systems in New Delhi today. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that women play a vital role in all agricultural activities, including sowing, harvesting, processing, and transporting crops to markets. They work tirelessly in many areas, including fisheries, beekeeping, animal husbandry, the proper utilization of forest produce, and the operation of agriculture-based enterprises. Women make invaluable contributions to the agricultural economy.

The President underlined that girls constitute over 50 percent of the total students in state agricultural universities, and over 60 percent in many universities. These girls also exhibit excellent academic performance. She emphasised that it is the responsibility of the government, society, and all stakeholders in the agricultural sector to provide every possible support and encouragement to these promising girls to enable them to lead in the fields of agriculture and food grains. She said that leadership is inherent in motherhood. However, motherhood is often considered to be in the confines of home. We must overcome this mindset and move forward with the vision of empowering women farmers to provide leadership.

The GCWAS-2026 is being jointly organised by the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA). The three-day Conference aims to deliberate on strengthening policy frameworks and ecosystems to mainstream gender participation and highlight the indispensable role of women in building sustainable and inclusive agri-food systems.(updated on 12th March 2026)