The United Nations General Assembly declared 2026 the International Year of Woman Farmers -- a global push to close gender gaps, secure livelihoods, and honour the vital role women play in feeding the world.
In Bangladesh, where women make up more than half of the agricultural workforce, this milestone hits close to home. It highlights a pressing domestic need for creating inclusive policies, sharing resources fairly, and giving formal recognition to the women keeping sustainable farming alive.
In response to this global call, Bangladesh reached a historic milestone on April 5 of this year. The Ministry of Agriculture officially launched national programs for the celebratory year. Attended by the Inter-Agency Coordination Committee, the launch signals a top-level political commitment to dismantling gender disparities across food systems.
Led by the ministry, this massive joint effort unites the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), IFAD, the World Food Program (WFP), and UN Women to position female farmers at the heart of agricultural transformation.
This policy momentum arrives at a turning point. During the ongoing monsoon season, a quiet but profound shift is sweeping across the country.
From the salinity-damaged coastal belts in the south to the flood-prone haor wetlands of the northeast, women are no longer just weathering the storm of climate change -- they are actively designing the nation’s climate resilience and food security.
While agricultural authorities drive progress on the ground, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is securing the structural framework.
Earlier this year, the ministry doubled its pace in rolling out the updated Climate Change and Gender Action Plan, a blueprint prioritizing natural resource management, female leadership, and gender-responsive infrastructure. A standout success is the Gender-Responsive Coastal Adaptation project -- a collaboration between the environment ministry, UNDP, and the Department of Women Affairs.
The initiative has established over 1,000 women livelihood groups in vulnerable coastal districts like Khulna and Satkhira. These groups manage climate-resilient drinking water systems and salinity-tolerant aquaculture, safeguarding more than 30,000 families from rising sea levels.
Furthermore, social forestry programs have set a groundbreaking legal precedent by allocating 50% of forest conservation profits directly to female stakeholders, recognizing them as frontline guardians of the environment.
Building a climate-resilient Bangladesh has evolved into a cross-governmental mission involving multiple ministries. The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs runs the National Resilience Program, training local, women-led organizations to influence local climate budgets.
Simultaneously, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has expanded its reach, ensuring weather alerts now hit 80% of rural households.
A major milestone achieved this year is the addition of dedicated, secure zones for women within multi-purpose cyclone shelters, dramatically improving safety and mobility during climate emergencies.
To bolster financial independence, the state is prioritizing female farmers for digital Smart Farmer Cards. These tools allow women to bypass exploitative middlemen, granting them direct access to government subsidies, banking credit, and live weather forecasts.
As Bangladesh transitions toward high-tech farming, this digital push bridges a massive equity gap.
The stakes remain incredibly high on a global scale. A recent UN Women report warns that without gender-equal climate policies, an additional 158.3 million women and children worldwide could slide into extreme poverty.
Equitable access to resources is no longer just a social ideal; it is an economic necessity. Through initiatives like the women-led Green Micro-Enterprise Incubator, the government and the FAO supply modern machinery and climate-resilient seeds, aiming to slash agricultural emissions while boosting yields.
To speed up this transition, visual training modules and films now teach marginal farmers eco-friendly techniques, such as floating vegetable cultivation, known locally as dhap chash, and cage fish farming.
By translating complex scientific data into accessible visual formats, these tools help women make quick, informed decisions in their fields.
At the same time, financial institutions have introduced collateral-free, low-interest green credit tailored specifically for women. This capital allows self-help groups to buy solar-powered irrigation pumps and modern machinery, boosting their earning power and decision-making influence in the rural economy.
Breaking away from unpaid domestic labour, women are building direct market connections and launching businesses in post-harvest processing.
The momentum from the International Year of Woman Farmers 2026 is part of a multi-decade strategy. The seeds planted today lay the groundwork for a developed, climate-resilient nation.
Looking ahead, the focus is shifting from temporary fixes to permanent institutional change rooted in large-scale, women-led nature-based solutions. This includes expanding coastal mangrove buffers and digitizing rural supply chains, where women will step into central roles as tech-savvy "agri-preneurs."
The target for the next decade is clear. A woman working the saline soil of the coast should not have to fight a lonely battle for survival against a changing climate.
Instead, she must be equipped to thrive in a modern, sustainable economy. The climate fight will ultimately be won or lost in the fields, and the future of those fields belongs to the leadership, innovation, and resolve of Bangladeshi women.
Dr Susmita Das is Director, Agricultural Information Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council
