Jaipur:

The initiative of driving training that started with 15 to 20 women in the village, has now grown to 800 or more. For those who have learnt advanced farming techniques and are in the know of things, are getting to choose for themselves and taking advantage of the government schemes. Moreover, the driving license has not only given them a ticket to financial independence but made them self-reliant.

Relegated to do the 'less important' farm works for a very long time, women of Bagru village near Jaipur in Rajasthan are now on a new high. Sitting on tractors, taking control of the wheels, and navigating their way in the vast tracts of agricultural lands, they are adopting newer farming practices, reaping better harvest, and earning good money. Santosh Kanwar, a beneficiary, remembers the first time some people had visited the village to train women in driving besides advanced farming practices. "There was protest and the men particularly did not want to encourage it. The society believes that women should wear a veil and purdah, and not learn to drive," she says.

However, with the support of family members and other women, the training finally took place and that was the turning point. "You will not believe, how liberating it is to drive and learn the tricks of farming. I feel I have achieved what I always wanted to - to become self-reliant," says she adding that they were also trained about various government schemes which they can opt for.

Another beneficiary Sunita Yadav says learning to drive tractor was life changing. She had lost her father early during her childhood and was raised by her mother who ran errands for some families to earn. "After I learned to drive, I knew I could fend for my family. It has become the source of employment for my family," says Sunita. At a time when it was expensive to hire a tractor from outside, now she takes to the wheels all by herself. "We do not pay for the tractor and I manage our works effectively to earn enough," says she.

Renu Beniwal, the trainer says that the livelihood programme through agricultural mechanisation is currently running in three panchayats of Ajmer district, which include Picholia, Bhagwanpur and Govindgarh. "Under the programme, 20 days of training is mandated. After that the women are issued a learning license and later a proper license," she explains.

Mostly dependent on me, women now feel they are capable of earning their 'own' money. Shobha Chaudhary speaks about the 20 days of training which changed the future course for most women. "We used to slog in the fields but the men went to the market to sell the crop. Now we are not dependent on them. We earn ours," says Shobha with pride.

So far 800 women have been trained, while 1000 more are learning. Bringing this revolution in the villages are NGOs like Centum Foundation and Vikas Unnati Sansthan, who have been sending trainers and enabling the farmwomen to re-write their own destiny.

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