Emphasis on Strengthening Workers' Rights in Madhya Pradesh's Cotton-Growing Regions
Organizations and stakeholders involved in cotton production in Madhya Pradesh have emphasized the need to promote basic workers' rights and better working conditions within cotton-growing communities. Partners associated with the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) ‘RISE for Impact’ project agreed on the necessity for improved coordination, local-level awareness, and linking farmers with government services to sustain the work initiated under the project.
According to the ILO, representatives from trade unions, the cotton industry, civil society organizations, and cotton-growing communities met in Indore in August. The meeting reviewed the project's progress, challenges, and lessons learned so far. Participants highlighted the need for better synergy among local leaders, trade unions, community organizations, and government institutions. They also stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of seasonal migration and child labor.
A joint report by the ILO and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University of Social Sciences, titled ‘Socio-Economic Assessment of Cotton-Growing Communities in Madhya Pradesh,’ was also released during the Indore event. The report focuses on the situation of farmers with very small landholdings who rely heavily on their own and their family's labor for farming.
More than 100 farmers participated in a workshop organized in Ratlam by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) and its affiliate, the Cotton Development and Research Association (CITI-CDRA). Discussions at the workshop covered issues such as labor shortages, declining interest among the youth in agriculture, and the dual burden of paid and unpaid work faced by women farmers.
Farmers were informed about labor laws, grievance redressal mechanisms, government schemes, and rural finance. The potential of 'care cooperatives' was also discussed; ILO expert Bharti Birla emphasized the need for affordable, high-quality care services. Meanwhile, the ILO's justice system emphasized the need for effective cooperation among all stakeholders to strengthen workers' rights in rural areas.
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