8 March 2026
International Women’s Day is observed globally on 8 March to recognize women’s achievements and promote gender equality. The theme for 2026, “Accelerate Action for Gender Equality,” highlights the need for stronger and faster efforts to empower women and ensure equal opportunities across sectors.
Women play a vital role in agriculture and across the agri-food value chain, contributing significantly to food security, rural livelihoods, and sustainable development.
Marking the occasion, ICAR institutes across the country celebrated International Women’s Day 2026 at their respective campuses through seminars, workshops, and interactive programmes, highlighting the contributions of women scientists, farmers, entrepreneurs, and professionals in advancing agricultural research and innovation.
ICAR-National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad
International Women’s Day was celebrated at ICAR–National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad, in the presence of Dr M.L. Jat, Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR. The programme highlighted the significant contributions of women in agriculture, science, and entrepreneurship, and emphasized the need for empowering women across agri-food value chains. The event also stated that 2026 is being observed as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, recognizing the crucial role of women in strengthening agrifood systems and rural livelihoods.
On the occasion, women entrepreneurs and incubatees associated with the Agri-Business Incubator (ABI) of ICAR-NMRI were felicitated for their innovative initiatives in livestock product processing and value addition. Addressing the gathering, Dr Jat highlighted the growing role of women-led start-ups and enterprises supported through ICAR’s Agri-Business Incubation ecosystem in transforming agri-based businesses, and encouraged women incubatees to utilize ICAR’s research and incubation support to develop scalable, market-oriented technologies.
During the programme, the Director General also released two institute publications: the Final Project Report of the contract research project with Frigorifico Allana Private Limited and “ICAR-NMRI at a Glance,” showcasing the institute’s mandate, achievements, and research initiatives.
ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad
International Women’s Day 2026 was celebrated at ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, today, highlighting that 2026 has been declared as the UN Year for Women Farmers and recognizing the important role of women in agriculture, research, and food and nutritional security.
The programme was graced by Dr Geetha Nagasree, a renowned oncologist from Hyderabad, as the Chief Guest, who emphasized the importance of women’s health, early detection of diseases such as breast and cervical cancer, and the role of HPV vaccination and regular health check-ups.
Dr C. Tara Satyavathi, Director, ICAR–IIMR, highlighted the contributions of women in millet cultivation, processing, and value chains, and outlined the institute’s initiatives in capacity building, entrepreneurship promotion, and millet-based value addition to support women farmers, SHGs, and FPOs. On the occasion, Certificates of Appreciation were presented to women employees in recognition of their contributions to the institute’s research and outreach activities.
ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore
The programme was organised under the theme “Give to Gain” and witnessed the participation of 15 women from Haroa village in North 24 Parganas district.
Dr. Gouranga Kar, Director, ICAR–CRIJAF, highlighted the significance of celebrating Women’s Day and emphasized the vital role of women in agriculture, society, and culture. He stressed the importance of providing equal opportunities for women and acknowledged the significant contributions of farm women to agricultural production, food security, nutrition, and natural resource management. He also highlighted the challenges faced by homemakers and working mothers in balancing professional and family responsibilities, appreciating their resilience and dedication. Further, he discussed the importance of women-friendly farm implements in reducing drudgery and improving working conditions for women in agriculture. He noted that ICAR–CRIJAF has actively promoted training and capacity building of farm women in value-added jute diversified products, with around 1,000 women trained in jute bag making and related products over the past five years.
The programme was organised in collaboration with KVK, North 24 Parganas (Additional). Participating farm women also shared their experiences on technological and social empowerment and emphasized the importance of income generation to support their farm families.
ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Bhubaneswar
ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Bhubaneswar and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Khordha jointly organized a Workshop on “Empowering SC Women Farmer through Women Friendly Aquaculture Technologies” in connection with the celebrations of International Women’s day 2026.
The Chief Guest, Ms Prajna Parangama, Deputy Collector, Khurda, expressed her pleasure in participating in the International Women’s Day celebration at ICAR-CIFA and highlighted the importance of recognizing and promoting the contributions of women in aquaculture and rural development. She emphasized that empowering women through knowledge, entrepreneurship, and opportunities in fisheries can significantly strengthen livelihoods and support inclusive and sustainable development.
Dr. P.K. Sahoo, Director, ICAR-CIFA, highlighted the institute’s initiatives aimed at promoting women’s empowerment in aquaculture and fisheries, and also referred to various Government schemes supporting the socio-economic advancement of women and encouraging their participation in development activities.
Dr. K.D. Mahapatra and Dr. Bindu R. Pillai, former Principal Scientists of ICAR-CIFA and Guests of Honour, emphasized the potential of aquaculture entrepreneurship in enhancing women’s livelihoods and social empowerment, in line with the theme “Give to Gain.”
Ms. Kanta Mohanty, GB Member of SARA, Bhubaneswar, and External Member of the IC at ICAR-CIFA, also addressed the gathering and stressed the importance of gender equality and knowledge sharing, reflecting the spirit of the theme.
A total of 100 farm women from of Balipatna block of Khordha district attended the workshop.
ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur
ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research celebrated World Women’s Day and UN Year for Women Farmers today with women farmers of Korauwa Village of Kanpur Dehat.
More than 50 women farmers participated in the celebration. During the programme, the importance of pulse crops for human nutrition and soil health was highlighted, emphasizing their role as nutrient-rich, high-protein food sources and natural soil enhancers through atmospheric nitrogen fixation, which reduces dependence on synthetic fertilizers. Pulse cultivation was also discussed as a means to promote biodiversity and climate resilience.
Considering the upcoming harvest of mustard and wheat in the region, farmers were advised to cultivate short-duration spring mungbean and urdbean (60–70 days) between February and May to utilize the period between the rabi and kharif seasons. These crops require 2–3 irrigations, perform well under warm conditions, and can provide good yields with proper management.
ICAR – Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack
International Women’s Day was celebrated at ICAR–Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, today under the chairmanship of Dr G. A. K. Kumar, Director, ICAR-CRRI. The programme was graced by Dr Mayabini Jena, Former Head, Crop Protection Division and Emeritus Scientist, ICAR-CRRI, as the Chief Guest.
In her address, Dr. Jena emphasized the importance of women’s empowerment and highlighted the challenges that continue to hinder the realization of gender equality. She also noted that 2026 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, recognizing the vital contributions of women farmers to agriculture, food security, and sustainable development.
In his presidential address, Dr. G. A. K. Kumar called for greater efforts towards gender equality in all spheres of life.
ICAR–Directorate of Poultry Research, Hyderabad
International Women’s Day 2026 was celebrated at ICAR–Directorate of Poultry Research today, which has also been declared as the UN Year for Women Farmers. The programme was chaired by Dr S. S. Paul, Head, PNPH, and Dr U. Rajkumar, Head, AG&B. The theme of the programme, “Rights, Justice, Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” emphasized structural accountability and the need to ensure that legal protections translate into tangible progress in society.
With the encouragement of the Dr R. N. Chatterjee, Director, ICAR-DPR, the Internal Committee prepared posters on the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) at the Workplace, which were released during the programme for display at various locations across the institute. The programme also highlighted several initiatives in the agricultural sector in India aimed at empowering women.
In his message, Dr Chatterjee, encouraged women researchers to pursue advanced research in poultry science for the benefit of the farming community. He also strongly advocated for greater participation and leadership of women in scientific research to help realize the vision of Viksit Bharat.
ICAR–National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru
International Women’s Day was celebrated at ICAR–National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru, with Prof. Geetha Bali, Former Vice-Chancellor, Karnataka State Akkamahadevi Women’s University, Vijayapura, as the Chief Guest and Dr S. N. Sushil, Director, ICAR–NBAIR, presiding over the function.
The programme began with a welcome address by Dr Kolla Sreedevi, Officer In-Charge, Institute Women’s Cell and Internal Committee, followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp. In his remarks, Dr S. N. Sushil highlighted the importance of women’s empowerment in agriculture, emphasizing gender equity in workplaces and acknowledging the dedication and contributions of women staff to the institute.
In her address, Prof. Geetha Bali highlighted the crucial role of women in agriculture and encouraged them to confidently address personal and professional challenges. Referring to the theme “Give to Gain,” she urged all staff to strive for excellence for the benefit of the organisation and the nation.
During the programme, women farmers were felicitated for their contributions. The event witnessed the participation of 68 members, including scientists, students, administrative and supporting staff, along with five women farmers, of which 44 participants were women.
(Source: Respective ICAR Institutes)
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