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Picture Courtesy:  PIB

Why in the News?

The Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AICIL), a Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) owned by the Ministry of Finance, has launched the Krishi Sakhi Initiative. 

What is the Krishi Sakhi Initiative?

This program is designed to empower women farmers by enhancing their awareness, participation, and skills related to crop insurance, aiming to make agriculture more inclusive and resilient.

Key Features of the Initiative

Structured Awareness Campaigns: Year-round engagement activities, including interactive videos and rural workshops, to ensure continuous learning and outreach.

Capacity Building: Ground-level training to women farmers, educating them on navigating crop insurance schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), understanding premium subsidies, and managing claim settlements.

Holistic Social Outreach: Integrates modules on crucial social issues like sanitation and menstrual hygiene, promoting overall community welfare beyond just economic concerns.

Significance of the Krishi Sakhi Initiative 

The 'Feminization' of Agriculture

Women form the backbone of Indian agriculture, with over 64.4% of rural female workers employed in this sector. (Source: PLFS Annual Report)

The Paradox of Land Ownership

Despite their significant labor contribution, women own only 14% of agricultural land holdings. (Source: 11th Agricultural Census)

• This lack of land titles prevents them from being officially recognized as "farmers," thus denying them access to credit and insurance.

Low Insurance Penetration

Female farmers constitute less than 20% of the total enrollees in the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), leaving female-headed households highly vulnerable. (Source: Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture Report)

Disproportionate Climate Vulnerability

Climate-related disasters reduce the agricultural income of female-headed households by 8% more than their male-headed counterparts due to poor access to adaptive resources like insurance. (Source: FAO)

Community Leadership

The program trains local women to become 'Krishi Sakhis' (farmer friends), creating a network of grassroots female leaders. 

• The success of this model is evident in the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP), where trained women leaders in Andhra Pradesh increased crop yields by 20% and effectively secured government subsidies. (Source: NITI Aayog Best Practices Report)

Challenges Undermining Women's Integration

Structural and Legal Barriers

Lack of land titles remains the biggest hurdle. Despite the Supreme Court's Vineeta Sharma vs Rakesh Sharma (2020) judgment upholding women's property rights, patriarchal norms hinder its implementation on the ground.

The Rural Digital Divide

Effective use of modern insurance portals is limited by low digital literacy. Only 25% of rural women use the internet compared to 49% of rural men, creating access barrier (Source: NFHS-5)

Policy Implementation Gaps

Key recommendations from expert bodies, like the M.S. Swaminathan Committee's suggestion for issuing joint land titles (pattas) to women, have seen inconsistent implementation by states.

Way Forward

Decouple Insurance from Land Ownership

Implement the Dalwai Committee's recommendation to issue "Cultivator Certificates" to women, recognizing their role as farmers regardless of land ownership.

Bridge the Digital Divide

Integrate the Krishi Sakhi network with the digital literacy modules of the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) to empower women to manage their insurance digitally.

Learn from Global Best Practices

Context

True agricultural resilience requires a policy shift from mere crop protection to comprehensive cultivator empowerment, with women firmly at the center of this transformation.

Source: PIB