According to OXFAM, women make up nearly 75% of full-time workers on Indian farms. They produce 60% to 80% of the country’s food. During a crop season, when fields are sown and harvested, women in India work about 3,300 hours. It is nearly double the 1,860 hours their male counterparts work. Despite this, their contributions to feeding families and the nation are undervalued and largely ignored. To address this underrepresentation and acknowledge the hard work of female farmers, two brands have launched unique campaigns. While these campaigns are similar, they are pushing for women farmers’ visibility.
EqualStock Initiative: Welspun World’s campaign pushing for women farmers’ visibility
Welspun World highlighted a thought-provoking fact: when searching for Indian farmers online, the overwhelming majority of images depict male farmers. The representation of women farmers in the media is shockingly low. It creates an inaccurate picture of who works in agriculture. Furthermore, it perpetuates the marginalisation of women farmers. It is as if women farmers, despite being the backbone of the industry, are working in the shadows.
To correct this imbalance, Welspun World launched the EqualStock initiative—the world’s first free image library dedicated to women farmers. This collaborative project aims to tackle the gender disparity in farming media by filling stock image libraries with high-quality photos of women farmers. Welspun World captured these images from their partner farms, making them available for free download on all major online platforms. By providing more images of women farmers, this initiative helps shift the online narrative to offer a more accurate depiction of the agricultural workforce.
Pushing for women farmers’ visibility: The campaign by Welspun World
While the EqualStock initiative is a significant step towards recognising and valuing the contributions of women farmers, it could be expanded to have an even broader impact. Welspun World could implement outreach programs to distribute these images through rural community centres, local agricultural offices, or printed materials in areas with limited internet access. Such efforts would make the initiative’s impact more widespread and inclusive.
Beyond this, Welspun is also committed to enhancing equal opportunities and visibility for women in the workplace through its “Women of Welspun” initiative, led by CEO Dipali Goenka. This program offers mentorship from Goenka herself and focuses on four main areas: community support, upskilling, engagement, and talent recognition. The “Women of Welspun” program aims to help women develop their professional profiles. Additionally, it helps them access opportunities that align with their talents.
#SaluteTheFarmHER campaign: DS Group pushing for women farmers’ visibility
DS Group, a leading FMCG conglomerate, launched the #SaluteTheFarmHER campaign on International Women’s Day to celebrate the contributions of female farmers. Conceptualised by Grapes, the campaign’s ad film begins by showing a group of children. When the children were asked to draw a farmer, most of them drew male farmers. This simple act highlights the need for better representation of women farmers.
The lack of representation perpetuates the misconception that farming is a male-dominated field, further marginalising women and depriving them of resources and opportunities. To address this, DS Group collaborated with major media outlets, agricultural bloggers, and stock footage providers. The idea was to ensure both male and female farmers get equal representation in news coverage. The initiative supports 24,000 farmers and has engaged over 80 media houses to improve the representation of female farmers.
The final thoughts
Both Welspun World and DS Group have launched campaigns that effectively push for women farmers’ visibility, each with its strengths. The #SaluteTheFarmHER campaign directly influences media representation and public awareness. It engages with over 80 media houses and supports 24,000 farmers. On the other hand, EqualStock offers long-term, accessible resources through a free image library to improve representation.
While both campaigns are valuable steps toward better representation, a collaboration between EqualStock and #SaluteTheFarmHER could amplify their impact. By combining efforts to enhance both digital visibility and media portrayal of female farmers, these initiatives could create a more significant and lasting change in how women farmers are perceived and valued.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content, which we define broadly to include media, policies, law, and history—encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and gender-queer individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
