Woman Farmer Project Launches Fellowship to Amplify Stories of Women in India’s Food Systems

The Locavore along with Doc Society Climate Story Unit has developed a new multimedia storytelling tool, the Woman Farmer Project to document and amplify the voices of women farmers all over India.By reinforcing the UN declaration of the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, the project intends to locate women's labour and knowledge as the key elements of discussions on food systems, climate change, and rural livelihoods. It identifies women as the primary hands in land plowing, seed storing, animal husbandry, and informal market participation; however it also recognizes that they are seldom portrayed in dominant narratives.

The project is a joint venture, engaging writers, grassroots organizations, and community networks in the production and dissemination of stories which accurately depict the reality of life. Besides that, it is committed to the principles of giving voice to and supporting the protagonists of the stories, not only enabling them to tell their story but also putting them in the driver seat to leading the framing of their narratives.

As a part of this project, a fellowship on a four-month full-time basis will be available from May to August 2026 to young Indian women (18-29 years old) interested in journalism filmmaking research, and cultural documentation. Those chosen as fellows will be taken into the field for immersive work in three regions - Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh, where they will get the chance to interact with local communities and partner organisations.

Only six fellows will be chosen, of which three will be audio-visual storytellers and three will be writer-researchers, each one geographically assigned. The programme will offer participants training, mentorship, and the necessary resources to produce multi-format outputs such as reported stories, short films, and photo essays in multiple languages.

The organisers believe that the project is very well-positioned to go beyond just generating effective climate and agriculture narratives. It is also capable of devising a viable model of community-led storytelling that gives voice to the community and is based on principles of consent, accountability, and long-term engagement.