Women saviours

Ranchi, May 30: The proposals of the feminist economists’ committee before the Planning Commission for the Eleventh Five Year Plan can change the life of women here.

Women depending on forests for livelihood or those working as labourers would be benefited if efforts are made to execute the recommendations of the 21-member panel headed by Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed.

The committee constituted on March 29 last year has proposed that both equity and efficiency should depend centrally on women’s participation in the institutions of forest management. The panel has also proposed that all community management programmes should involve women as equal partner in management committees and benefit sharing. The report adds that women are principal stakeholders in forest conservation as they are the main users of firewood, fodder, food items and non-wood forest products.

“Feminisation of agriculture” for improving productivity is another important recommendation of the committee. It has been proposed before the commission that in the Eleventh Five Year Plan women cultivators be given land titles, credit, irrigation water and infrastructure support. The feminist economists have also made elaborate submission on the plight of women migrant workers. The state’s forest and environment minister, Sudhir Mahto, admitted that participation of women needed much improvement despite 10,000 joint forest management groups operating in Jharkhand.

Mahto advocated the commission should lay down specific guidelines for different states, especially for Jharkhand, where nearly a third of the total land is covered by forests.