ARPAN

Arpan formed a group of women farmers in Hudaki village with the support of ActionAid. The group has 15 members. Women work a lot in the agriculture but are not recognised as farmer. They have very small land holdings, mostly less than 1 acres. They worked in the traditional way and had limited opportunity to learn about the new agriculture techniques. In these small landholdings they get production lasting for just for few months.

Women engaged in unpaid farming activities in their small patches of land got together to form farmers collective in 15 villages falling under three blocks of Pithoragarh district under the project supported by Action Aid and Orcale. During a span of one year, the women have been able to assert their rights to a dignified life and livelihood.

Bindu Devi, a 39-year-old Dalit woman lives with her husband and five children, whose age ranges from nine years to 20 years.  Her husband is a daily wage labour. She herself works as a labourer and also has a cow. Bindu was married off at the age of 16 years and since then she has been struggling a lot.