POLICIES, PROJECTS AND IMPACTS
Bhawana Upadhyay (Nepal)
An overwhelming majority of active women in Nepal, 93.7 , work in agriculture.
Recently, the contribution of women to irrigated agriculture is gaining recognition
through the efforts of bilateral agencies working for gender equity and empowerment.
In view of this, the Agriculture Perspective Plan (APP) has recently accorded genderissues a high priority and recognized gender as one of the important implementation
strategies. Not only does APP give explicit consideration to gender issues in all aspectsof its plan, but also specifies how women can be brought into the mainstream ofaccelerated growth. Specifically, the APP aims to improve access of women to production
inputs and credit, bring women actively into income generation and marketing
activities, and ensure that both women and men have access to the development
opportunities being promoted.
Similarly, the significance of research work to generate technology that helps reduce
the workload of women in household and farm activities are explicitly recognized by theNinth Plan. It also emphasizes the need to identify and recommend such technologies
that will be easily accepted by women farmers. In order to address the issue ofmainstreaming gender in agriculture, APP has formulated the following specificstrategies:•Inclusion of women in water users' groups•

Increment the number of women in training directed at the organization andmanagement of irrigation systems•

Design technology that will help reduce the workload of women for household
and labor activities•

Increase employment of women extension agents and professionals to reach
women farmers•

Provision of a high rate of subsidy on irrigation loans to womenInternational Development Enterprises/Nepal (IDE/N), is a unit of a US based
international non-profit organization which develops and markets low cost technologies
that help farmers to enhance their income by increasing farm productivity. IDE has
been working in villages of Palpa district of western Nepal since 1998 with a view tohelping small farmers, particularly women, to improve their lives by increasing theirincome through high value vegetable production. IDE motivated farmers to form

self-help groups for cultivation of micro-irrigation technology. IDE promoted the ideathat each family member's contribution should be valued and benefits should beequitably shared. Keeping these strategies in the frontline, IDE focused on three major
activities: capacity building of farmers, particularly women, groups; promotion ofincreased vegetable production; creation of linkages between private entrepreneurs andcommercial groups for marketing purpose. Working with several women groups, IDE
motivated them by providing several training. A courses including the installation ofkits, seed preservation, vegetable cultivation and protection with a special focus onorganic farming.
Mainly due to scarcity of water, there were very few households that used to cultivate
vegetables before the intervention of the IDE project. There was a massive boom invegetable production after the IDE intervention, as spring water was channeled to thevillages due the project. Women adopters of the micro-irrigation technology are now
regarded as commercial vegetables producers. Earlier, they had no productive work to
do and used to assist in household agriculture as unpaid laborers. With the help of IDE,
villagers are able to irrigate land that was previously rainfed and, as a result, used toremain fallow outside the monsoon.
In depth analysis of a daily routine diagram revealed that women's workload has
been reduced due to adoption of technology. Previously, women used to fetch water fromlong distances. They used to spend 1.5-2 hours fetching water and another 1.5-2 hours
irrigating fields. Now, up to 75% of this drudgery has been reduced because of thenature of the technology. They no longer have to irrigate manually due to the newtechnolosy. Women can utilize this saved time for productive purposes, as these women
did in reality, by forming self-help groups and operating saving-credit accounts. Thiskind of innovation will help rural illiterate women to move forward, know their rights,
realize their potentials and raise voice whenever necessary.
With the help of vegetable production, not only have these rural women been able tosecure their own and their family's nutritional intake, but also they have become
financially strong. Organic cultivation practices, improved cultivation with the use of
better seed quality, proper use of fertilizer among other innovations, have led to better
productivity and better food security. Better cultivation practices, and improved watersavings through the use of micro-irrigation leads to a more sustainable use of naturalresources.

In my view, here is no longer a need to do more paperwork in formulating policies orcreating attractive programs or strategies for implementation. I believe enough work
has been done in this respect. The key to success relies on proper implementation ofthese policies and programs. This experience gives us a lesson that if a cost-effective,easy-to-operateandmaintain,

lesslabor

intensive,

gendersensitiveandenvironment-friendly technology is introduced, it can have positive impact on bothhuman livelihood and sustainable use of natural resources.