Global Conference on Women in Agriculture

Delegates at the Global Conference on Women in Agriculture, including six women partners in ACIAR projects and representatives of Australian Women in Agriculture (Source: AWiA)

ACIAR sponsored six women involved in ACIAR projects to attend the Global Conference on Women in Agriculture held in New Delhi, India on 13-15 March 2012.

Themed ‘Empowering Women for Inclusive Growth in Agriculture’, the conference was organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI).

Around 300 delegates attended the conference which was inaugurated by the President of India, her Excellency Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil. ACIAR’s Principal Advisor Dr Simon Hearn, who is on the APAARI executive committee, chaired a session at the conference.

The conference had the following themes:
1. Assessing women’s empowerment in agriculture
2. Agricultural innovations for reducing drudgery
3. Linking women to markets
4. Role of women in household food and nutritional security
5. Access to assets, resources and knowledge: policies and services
6. Impact and responses to climate change related risks and uncertainties

There was also discussions on a Framework for Action on Engendering Agricultural Research, Education and Extension.

ACIAR-sponsored delegates included:
Dr Silinthone Sacklokham (Head of Department of Rural Economics, National University of Laos)
Dr Norah Omot (Senior Researcher, PNG National Agricultural Research Institute)
Lilly Sar ( Papua New Guinea University of Technology Communication & Development Studies)
Felister Makini (Deputy Director Outreach & Partnerships Kenya Agricultural Research Institute)
Dr Jemimah Njuki (Team Leader, poverty and gender International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya)
Atien Priyanti (Indonesian Center of Animal Research & Development).

The women are pictured here with six Australian women involved in agriculture, including delegates from Australian Women in Agriculture (AWiA).

Detailed information is available at http://www.gcwa.in/