Amreto Sarkar from Rajshahi

BARCIK and Horideb Women organization jointly organized meeting, human chain and display of 25 agricultural products on 8 March at Horideb Agroecological learning Cetre to mark the international women day demanding fair price of their agricultural products.

The discussants in the meeting narrated that women make maximum use of their backyard and land to produce different seasonal native vegetables conserving their seeds and exchanging these with each other to boost relationship. This conservation has enabled women to protect the seed diversity though in spite of their efforts they are not recognized properly. The discussants also pointed that women earn some additional cash selling the surplus of their vegetable and even sometimes they do not have control of that cash that they earn.  

When ask about the fair price of their agriculture products president of Harideb women organization Shreemoti Bani Rani said, ‘We women throughout day get busy with different types of works, some may involve in tailoring, vegetable production, seed conservation etc. But our efforts and works are seldom recognized in the family and society.

Mosa: Kabulzan Begum, the entrepreneur of Harideb Agroecological Learning Center said, ‘We have been conserving and protecting native seed diversity for a long time. Women can earn if there is any local market is set up at village level enabling them to sell their produces and even seeds.’

BARCIK regional coordinator Md. Shahidul Islam states ‘A village level market is necessary to assist women selling their crops which they produce in an eco-friendly way through their Model Shotobari (Nutrition bank). This also will ensure that women get fair price of their agricultural products contributing to empowering them in the family and society. 50 Women participated in the event and some of them did exchange seeds, knowledge and other materials with each other during the event.