Empowering Rural Women through Skill Development in Clothing and Flower Products

Under the All India Coordinated Research Project for Women in Agriculture at Maharana Pratap Agricultural and Technology University, a ten-day training program began on December 30, 2024, for the women of Loyra village panchayat. The program focused on designing and developing protective clothing for women, as well as transforming waste flowers into value-added products for the women of Brahman Ka Hundar village.

Over the past ten days, the women participated in training sessions where they designed and stitched various garments such as blouses, shirts, pants, kurtas, lehengas, petticoats, and Patiala salwars. They also received practical training on using waste flowers to make incense sticks, dhoop sticks, potpourri, natural pots, herbal hawan lamps, and compost. The program concluded on January 9, 2025, with Prof. Arvind Kumar Verma, Director of the Research Directorate, as the chief guest. He emphasized that when a woman is educated, it results in the education and strengthening of the entire family. Knowledge brings self-reliance, and whether it’s sewing or child-rearing, women’s contributions are crucial. He stressed the importance of women’s education and said that women’s involvement in agriculture also contributes significantly to economic development. He noted that skill development in various fields, alongside agriculture, enables women to become self-sufficient.

The program also featured Panchayat head Mrs. Priyanka Suthar, who shared that the college regularly organizes various programs, including seed distribution, sewing, value-added products, and awareness about labor-intensive agricultural tools, all of which help instill self-confidence in women.

Project Coordinator Dr. Vishakha Bansal mentioned that under the various schemes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research's Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (CIFA), Bhubaneswar, the goal for this year was to provide skill development to 100 rural women on different topics. As part of this, training has already been provided to 30 women from Nutri Smart Village Loyra, 20 women from Madar, 40 women from Brahman Ka Hundar, and 28 women from Thur in various fields. Training sessions are conducted regularly based on the results of ongoing research. 

The event was attended by Prof. Hemu Rathod, Dr. Vishakha Singh, and Dr. Sumitra Meena. The program was coordinated by Dr. Kusum Sharma, Young Professional, and the master trainers, Mr. Ravi Mitwa and Ms. Anushka Tiwari, played a key role in imparting skills. Over the last 10 days, the project has successfully trained 70 rural women in skill development.