ICAR-CIRCOT Celebrated International Women’s Day - 2026

International Women’s Day is celebrated annually to recognize and commemorate the cultural, political, and socio-economic achievements of women. On this occasion, a gathering of all the women staff members of the institute was held on 8th March 2026 at 2:30 p.m. in the Video Conferencing Hall.

The programme commenced with Vande Mataram and the ICAR song. Shri Yogesh Pathare, SAO, ICAR-CIRCOT, welcomed the gathering and conveyed his wishes to all the women staff members of the institute. Dr. T. Senthilkumar, Senior Scientist & Member of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), briefed the gathering on the activities of the Institute ICC.

During the programme, the institute’s woman achiever, Smt Hemangi Pednekar, was felicitated for her outstanding performance in the ICAR west zone Sports Meet, where she won a medal in chess. On the occasion, a short video on Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana was also screened, creating awareness about the scheme among the participants.

Dr. Pratima Goyal, External Member of the Institute ICC, joined the celebration online and emphasized the active involvement and competence of women in all fields, particularly highlighting the importance of gender equality. She appreciated and thanked the respected Director, Dr. S. K. Shukla, for fostering and maintaining a healthy and women-friendly work environment at ICAR-CIRCOT.

This was followed by a discussion led by Mrs. Trupti Mokal, Administrative Officer, and Dr. Charlene D’Souza, ACTO and Member Secretary of ICC, on this year’s theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”, in view of the UN Year for Women Farmers (as per the directives of the DG, ICAR). The discussion highlighted the realities faced by women farmers in India, noting that women constitute only about 14% of the total farming population in terms of land ownership. The speakers also discussed how inheritance laws sometimes pose challenges in accessing ancestral land and emphasized the importance of securing women’s rights. They further highlighted that women’s education plays a key role in educating future generations and strengthening society.

The Heads of Departments present, Dr. Shanmugam and Dr. Vigneshwaran, conveyed their best wishes to all women staff members on the occasion. They emphasized that lessons in gender equality should begin at the individual and family level, a point that was also endorsed by Dr. Pratima Goyal. Several staff members also shared their views, describing the word “Ma-Hi-La” as representing a woman who is Mazboot (strong), Himmatwaali (courageous), and Lajwanti (graceful).

Dr. S. K. Shukla, Director, ICAR-CIRCOT, addressed the gathering and highlighted the pivotal role of women throughout India’s history—from mythological figures such as Draupadi and Seetha to modern-day scientists at ISRO and women soldiers serving the nation. He emphasized that women have always been at the forefront of the country’s progress and stressed the importance of women’s empowerment and gender equality as essential pillars for national development.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Mr. Mayank Chaurasia, Assistant of the institute.

Diversity of Women Workforce in the Textile Sector Across the Country

• In India, cotton harvesting is largely performed by women, with around 3 lakh women workers engaged in cotton picking across major cotton-growing states.
• In the ginning sector, nearly 1 lakh women workers are involved in activities such as handling seed cotton, lint processing, and cleaning operations.
• India has a large textile manufacturing base with about 3,400 spinning mills, employing around 5 lakh women in spinning and related operations.
• In the garment manufacturing sector, women constitute a significant share of the workforce, accounting for over 60% of the 45 million workers engaged in the industry.