Jalandhar, March 8 ( ) On the occasion of 113th International Women’s Day, the Mahila Kisan Union has demanded from the central government that women farmers should be immediately notified as farmers so that women agriculturists could also take advantage of government facilities available to male farmers.
State President of Mahila Kisan Union, Bibi Rajwinder Kaur Raju made this demand while interacting with the journalists on Tuesday at Punjab Press Club, Jalandhar. He was accompanied by Union Chairperson Manveer Kaur, Chief Advisor Dr. Swarnjit Kaur Grewal, General Secretary Davinder Kaur, Vice President Gurpreet Kaur, Joint Secretaries Manpreet Kaur and Khushpreet Kaur, Finance Secretary Harneet Kaur and Press Secretary Paramveer Kaur. On this occasion, the union leaders also released the official flag, logo and badge of Mahila Kisan Union.
The women leader Bibi Raju said apart from family and household chores, the participation of women in agriculture and allied vocations have been known since time immemorial. According to official figures, more than 80 percent of women in the country’s agro-economy depend on agriculture for their livelihood. In the entire farming community, more than 30 percent women are engaged in agriculture and more than 45 percent women work as farm workers. “Despite that women farmers are deprived of government facilities and relief. The governments are doing the same treatment with women agricultural labourers”, she lamented.
Bibi Rajwinder Kaur Raju also demanded that a pending central law be passed in the parliament to give 33 per cent reservation to women in parliament and state assemblies as promised by the BJP in its manifesto in the last Lok Sabha general elections. Apart from this, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, women farmers and women farm workers should be provided with Rs 2000 per month assistance and free family health insurance facility to all types of farmers and farm laborers.
The farmer leader informed that aiming to protect the interests of women farmers, housewives and women agricultural workers, Mahila Kisan Union has been formed so that their genuine demands and problems could be resolved at the government level. Apart from this, Mahila Kisan Union would continue to raise its voice in case of any repression or discrimination against Punjab, mother tongue Punjabi and Punjabis.
Bibi Raju added that the Mahila Kisan Union would work closely with the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and farmer organisations of Punjab in every struggle for the demands of farmers and agricultural workers.
She also announced that women farmers and agri workers who have made invaluable contribution to the struggle of farmers would be honored every year on the occasion of National Mahila Kisan Diwas on 15 October. Apart from this, a women’s conference would be organized by the Mahila Kisan Union in Punjab on the occasion of Mahila Kisan Diwas to make women aware of their rights, in which national level farmer leaders would grace the occasion.
The women farmer leader called upon all the women of Punjab to become a members of Mahila Kisan Union so that justice could be achieved by raising women’s voice to the deaf ears of the governments and for accomplishment of legitimate demands and problems being faced by the women.
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