Press Release

Rajasthan, March 08, 2023: Based on this year's theme of #EmbraceEquity for International Women's Day, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is emphasizing on projects that prioritize rural income growth and financial independence. JICA's Senior Vice President Ms. IMOTO Sachiko visited Rajasthan from 28th Feb to 1st March 2023 to highlight the importance of improving women inclusion in various sectors.

The Union budget 2023 has also taken steps to enable women self-help groups (SHGs) to reach to the next stage of economic empowerment by providing them with raw material supply, branding, marketing of products, etc. Realizing the transformative potential of SHGs in engaging women, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, JICA's projects help in widening women's labor force participation in the near future.

India's prosperity has risen in terms of economic growth and development, but women are yet to benefit equally or even proportionately from the same. Confined to family care, the pandemic further aggravated this disparity of economic participation and letting women have the autonomy of taking decisions for themselves and their family. About 46% of workers in the agriculture sector are women, which gives them a pivotal role in agricultural production processes and maintenance and management of irrigation facilities.

Ms. IMOTO Sachiko, Senior Vice President, JICA said, "Many women are involved in agricultural production activities and maintenance and management of water routes in rural areas of Rajasthan. However, they have only limited opportunities to participate in workshops to obtain proper water management or farming skills or skills to maintain and manage irrigation facilities as well as in decision making processes. The benefit of investing in women and empowering them with knowledge and voices to raise reaches far beyond herself, to the family members and to the communities. JICA is committed in its resolve to assist the improvement of livelihood for agriculture and forest-dependent communities, not only by improving infrastructure but also by capacity development of people, both men and women."

To help women realise their full potential and strengthen the situation for women to be empowered equitably, JICA has been continuously supporting and accelerating gender parity. By developing their skills in sectors such as forestry, health, agriculture, transport, finance and water and sanitation, JICA's projects in various Indian states, like Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha help realise women their viability to projects in infrastructure development and environment preservation.

In India's forestry sector, JICA has supported "Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project" as one of the flagships projects in the sector which empowers local community members, especially women by skill trainings, supporting SHGs and providing financial assistance to rural women to reduce their dependence on forest resources.

One of the project beneficiaries, Mr. Jasoda Pradhan, SHG Member, Sundarpur Van Suraksha Samiti, Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project-II said, "We were traditional craftsmen on bamboo utility products, but due to our lowly skills we would get less work on these bamboo products. The OFSDP-II project facilitated a month-long training on different bamboo crafts, enabling many of our members skilled on making exclusive artefacts on bamboo craft which are sold both online and offline. Now our products fetch premium values."

The Jharkhand Horticulture Intensification by Micro Drip Irrigation Project aims to enhance productivity of horticultural products as well as livelihood of female farmers and affiliated to women's voluntary group (SHG) that will lead to contributing to their needs for supporting women.

Chintamani Devi, an Ajeevika Krishak Sakhi or Community Resource Person to enable female farmers, shares how the project increases the income of women and helps them save money on compost or fertilizers that they earlier had to buy. "Now we are able to educate our kids in English Medium Schools, those women who were deployed as contractual labourers are now cultivating their own farmland while managing their homes and family. Now, more and more women are coming in to get trained in these segments," she said.

The Delhi Metro Rail Cooperation (DMRC) project also promotes employment of women through improvement of the working environment, i.e. by granting child care leave, establishment of a day-care centre and hostels for women employees, and the formation of the Standing Complaints Committee.

About JICA

Established by a specific law, as an incorporated administrative institution under the Government of Japan, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) aims to contribute to the promotion of international cooperation, as the sole Japanese governmental agency in charge of ODA implementation. JICA is the world's largest bilateral donor agency and works as a bridge between Japan and emerging countries, providing assistance in the form of loans, grants, and technical cooperation, to enable the emerging countries to strengthen their capabilities.

• JICA India Office Web
• JICA India Brochure (PDF)
• JICA Facebook Page (external link)

For further information, please contact:

JICA India Office
Shusaku Takada /Aishwarya Mishra
(+91)-11-49097000
Takada.Shusaku@jica.go.jp
Mishra-Aishwarya@jica.go.jp

Edelman India
Rakhi Aurora
(+91)-9599067185
Rakhi.Aurora@edelman.com