Women leadership is key to guarantee food security and nutrition
Mrs. Shashila Devi Khatri, 52, is the Chairper son of Deuti Bajyai IPM Group in Thakleni of Sahare VDC-2 in Surkhet District. She is a farmer, housewife and true advocate of pesticide free vegetable production. Deutibajyai IPM Group of Thakleni is famous in growing vegetables and selling them in local markets. Currently, this active group is working on the production of healthy products. This change has been possible thanks to female leadership.
The group was first established in October 2009 with cooperation from District Agriculture Development Office (DADO) Surkhet and National IPM Programme. When year long Farmer Field School (FFS) first started in the village, there were 21 female and 4 male participants. From the establishment, the chairperson has always been a male member of the group. However, the group function could not run properly in the first year.
Instead of mobilizing team effort, the chairperson used to remain absent in the important FFS sessions and ordered to work in the FFS from his home. FFS participants, particularly, females, however, could not resist the male domination and suppression from the behavior of the Chairperson. However, the FFS participant remained irregular in the FFS day. They tried their best to stop the dropouts in FFS and other irregularities in the group. In a FFS meeting, the Chairperson of the group was forced to quit the position. With support from fellow farmers, Mrs. Shashila Khatri was selected new Chairperson of the team.
When she became chairperson, few male members were not happy, either. She has better understanding of what is lacking in a team. With dedication, leadership and openness she won heart of the fellow farmers and IPM facilitators. With her courageous effort, the group registered at DADO Surkhet and started saving-credit scheme among the group members. Because of her activeness, many farmers received training organized by IPM programme, DADO and other I/NGOs in the district. She made compulsion to have all member managed FYM and urine collection.
She is determined to make her village a pesticide free area within a year. Under her leadership, now the group has produced two local IPM facilitators who regularly provide technical support to fellow farmers. She has managed uniform for all women members of the group. Moreover, she herself grows vegetables and other crops without chemical pesticide and minimum use of chemical fertilizer. She thinks that women are equally competent to men when opportunity is equally shared to both. Her husband is also participant of the IPM group. He supports her endeavor and says that success of wife also means success of both couple and family as whole.