Odisha Lays Roadmap for Gender-Responsive Agricultural Governance

Bhubaneswar: Odisha on Friday rolled out a structured action plan to integrate gender equity into agricultural governance, as the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and with support from the Gates Foundation, organised the Inception Workshop on Institutionalising the Gender Responsive Cell: Framework and Roadmap in the city.

The workshop focused on operationalising the Gender Responsive Cell (GRC), which was jointly inaugurated by Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida on November 29, 2025, at Krushi Bhavan. The initiative aims to embed gender-responsive governance within the agriculture department by systematically identifying and addressing existing gender gaps, ensuring that equity becomes a core component of policy planning, programme design, and service delivery.

Addressing the gathering, KV Singh Deo, who also holds the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment portfolio, stressed the need for sustained institutional action. He said the launch of the GRC reflected Odisha’s commitment to inclusive and evidence-led agricultural reforms. Highlighting a key achievement, he noted that Odisha is the only state to have developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for manufacturing women-friendly farm machinery. He added that the workshop marked a crucial step towards translating policy intent into measurable outcomes on the ground.

Dr. Mrinalini Darswal, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Women & Child Development Department, underlined the importance of interdepartmental convergence, stating that women’s empowerment cannot be addressed in silos. She said the GRC would provide a structured platform for coordination across agriculture, women and child development, and data systems, enabling women-led development to be translated into tangible and trackable outcomes.

Shri Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, described the GRC as a significant governance reform. He said the inception workshop marked the beginning of collective action, and deliberations would help shape a practical and implementable roadmap for institutionalising gender-responsive agricultural governance.

Highlighting the role of academia and research, Prof. Pravat Kumar Roul, Vice-Chancellor of Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology (OUAT), said that gender-responsive agricultural transformation must be anchored in rigorous evidence and continuous learning. He added that institutions like the GRC could serve as critical bridges between research, policymaking, and field-level implementation.

Dr. Shahidur Rashid, Director – South Asia, IFPRI, said the initiative reflected a paradigm shift in addressing gender within public systems. He said IFPRI would support the State through evidence generation, measurement frameworks, and capacity building to ensure that gender equity is reflected not only in policy intent but also in outcomes. He added that the initiative would facilitate knowledge sharing across states and the South Asia region.

During the workshop, two outstanding farm women — Dr. Raimati Ghiuria, popularly known as “Millet Rani” for her contribution to conserving traditional millets and empowering women farmers, and Smt. Rina Behera, recognised for excellence in farm machinery operation, maintenance, and training — were felicitated for their exemplary work.

The workshop featured technical sessions on gender-responsive agricultural transformation, drawing on evidence from IFPRI-led initiatives such as the Gender, Climate Change and Nutrition Integration Initiative (GCAN). Experience-sharing sessions by women leaders from Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) enriched discussions on climate resilience, women-centric farm mechanisation, custom hiring models, leadership development, and robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

The event was attended by Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue & Disaster Management; T. Nanda Kumar, former Secretary, Government of India; senior state officials, eminent scientists from national and international institutions, students, research scholars, NGO representatives, and other stakeholders, underscoring the broad-based commitment to advancing women-led agricultural development in Odisha.