Highlights:
- Today, on International Women’s Day, Punjab and Haryana women will lead farmers protest against farm laws
- The day will be completely devoted to women farmers, activists, and students, according to SKM
- International Women’s Day observed every year on March 8th which is a global day that honours women’s social, economic, cultural, and political accomplishments
Thousands of women farmers, students, and activists will take over key roles at the Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur protest sites near Delhi’s borders on International Women’s Day on Monday, from managing the venue, security to sharing tales of their struggles, food, and the importance of participating in the farmers’ agitation.
Noting that women make a huge contribution to the country’s agricultural sector, organizers have laid out elaborate plans to let women farmers take centre stage and all the space under the sky to acknowledge the “major but unrecognised” portion of the farming community.
On Monday, thousands of women farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, will congregate at Delhi’s borders, with a day dedicated entirely to women farmers, activists, and students, according to farmer leaders.
Women from Punjab reach Tikri on Delhi-Haryana border to join the ongoing farmers' protest. "We urge the Central government to roll back the three black laws," a woman protester says. #InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/tfPjVcejjR
— ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2021
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating women’s social, cultural, political and economic, achievements. It is observed every year on March 8th. The day also serves as a call to action for promoting gender parity.
Kavita Kurugranthy, a senior farmer leader and member of the Samkyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), said, “The stage will be run by women, and the speakers will also be women, in honour of International Women’s Day. There will also be a small march at the Singhu border, the deatils will to be announced later. More women are expected to join the protests at various locations.”
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For more than three months, thousands of farmers, mainly from the states of Punjab, Haryana, and western part of Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at the different Delhi border including the Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur borders, demanding the revoke of agriculture farm laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for their goods.
Farmers opposing the laws are concerned that this law will pave the way for the abolition of the MSP system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.
The government, on the other hand, claims that the new laws would provide better opportunities for farmers and introduce new agricultural technologies.
Around 15,000 farmers that are women, as well as college principals, social workers, and teachers, will join the protest sites at the Singhu and Tikri borders on International Women’s Day, according to the organisers.
Farmer leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu, “Women are an important part of the agricultural culture, but they are not appreciated well. In reality, they put in more hours than men. About 10,000 women from various parts of Punjab and Haryana will come to the border to participate in the women’s day program.”
Woman farmers have also been asked to attend the various protest sites in Punjab and Haryana, according to Sandhu.
Women protesters will discuss their rights, challenges, and the importance of involvement in the movement, at the two stages at the Tikri border, according to one of the organisers.
“At the Singhu border, women will take over the roles of security. Hundreds of women are arriving in vehicles from various parts of Punjab and will join us at the border tomorrow. To mark International Women’s Day, we expect about 15,000 people to gather in Tikri and 4,000 people in Singhu,” said Jagmohan Singh of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda), Punjab.
Avtar Singh Mehma, the farmer leader of the Krantikari Kisan Union, also said that on International Women’s Day, stage management at all borders would be handled by women.
The farmer leader, Mehma said, “Women will give speeches on the stage, whether they are from a student organisation, a farmer organisation, or simply a social work organisation.”
