In an endeavour to empower rural women and make themfinancially independent, the National Commission for Women has launched a country-widetraining and capacity building program for women in dairy farming. The Commission iscollaborating with agricultural universities across India to identify and train womenassociated with dairy farming and allied activities in different aspects such as value addition,quality enhancement, packaging and marketing of dairy products among others.

The first program under the project was organized on ‘Value Added Dairy products’ for womenSHG groups at Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana inassociation with Haryana State Rural Livelihood Mission. Launching the project, NCW Chairperson Smt. Rekha Sharma said that financial independence is key to women empowerment. She said women in rural India are involved in every part of dairy farmingyet they have been unable to attain financial independence. NCW, through its project aims toempower women and help them achieve financial independence by training them in qualityenhancement of dairy products, its value addition, packaging and increasing the shelf life andmarketing of their products.

The National Commission for Women has been working to help women reach their full potentialand contribute towards building a sustainable economy. The Commission has always stood forwomen’s equality because it strongly believes that the economy cannot succeed with half itspopulation being held back from performing their best.

NCW aims to help women farmers and Self Help Groups through scientific training and a seriesof practical ideas to effectively conduct extension activities in the dairy farming sector. TheCommission will provide training to women for enhancing their business and encouraging themtowards entrepreneurship. NCW will also select trainers who will further train womenentrepreneurs, women-run milk-cooperative societies, women self-help groups etc.NCW aims to create a sustainable and replicable district level model in the dairy sector whichcan be further adopted in the dairy farming regions of the country. The aim of the project is toharness the immense potential in villages in creating and marketing dairy products andempowering women along the process to achieve financial independence.

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