Empowering the green shield: How women farmers are steering Bangladesh’s food security

As Bangladesh navigates the 2026 monsoon season, a transformative shift is unfolding in the salt-crusted fields of the south and the flood-prone haors of the northeast. Women are no longer viewed merely as vulnerable victims of climate change; they are increasingly being recognised as key architects of the nation's climate resilience and food security.

A major milestone in this journey was reached on 5 April 2026, when the Ministry of Agriculture officially launched the national activities for the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026).

The launch took place during the Interagency Coordination Committee (IACC) meeting at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), signalling a high-level policy commitment to closing gender gaps in the country's agrifood systems.

Led by the Ministry of Agriculture, the initiative brought together key partners, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP), UN Women, and other stakeholders.

The launch reflects a shared commitment to positioning women farmers as leaders in food security, climate resilience, and agricultural transformation across Bangladesh.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer to raise awareness and promote action aimed at closing gender gaps. In Bangladesh, where women now account for more than 50% of the agricultural workforce, the global observance underscores the need for inclusive policies, equitable access to resources, and stronger recognition of women's contributions to sustainable agriculture.

While the Ministry of Agriculture is leading the farming agenda, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is providing the structural framework for resilience. In early 2026, the ministry accelerated implementation of the updated Climate Change and Gender Action Plan (CCGAP).

The updated framework identifies six sector-specific pillars, including natural resources, women's leadership, and gender-responsive infrastructure, ensuring that gender equality remains central to every climate adaptation project.

At the centre of these efforts is the Gender-Responsive Coastal Adaptation (GCA) project. In collaboration with UNDP and the Department of Women's Affairs, the MoEFCC has empowered more than 1,000 Women Livelihood Groups in coastal districts such as Khulna and Satkhira.

These groups are now managing climate-resilient drinking water systems and saline-tolerant aquaculture, directly protecting more than 30,000 households from the impacts of rising sea levels.

The ministry's Social Forestry Programme has also set a benchmark by ensuring that 50% of forest conservation dividends are legally allocated to women participants, transforming them into frontline "forest guardians".

The 5 April launch at BARC emphasised that closing the gender gap — particularly in access to resources and services — is not just a social goal, but an economic imperative. By improving access to modern technology and climate-smart seeds through initiatives such as the "Women-led Green Micro-enterprise Incubator", the government and FAO aim to boost productivity while reducing the agricultural sector's carbon footprint.

The fight for a climate-resilient Bangladesh is increasingly becoming a multi-ministerial effort. The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs is currently implementing the National Resilience Programme, which focuses on training grassroots women-led organisations to influence local climate budget planning.

At the same time, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has achieved 80% household coverage for weather alerts, with a specific focus in 2026 on ensuring that multipurpose shelters include dedicated safe zones for women to improve safety and mobility during disasters.

On the economic front, the government is prioritising the distribution of digital "Smart Farmer Cards" to women, ensuring direct access to subsidies, credit, and real-time weather information without intermediaries. This digital inclusion is critical as Bangladesh moves towards a more technology-driven agricultural model.

The data, however, remains a sobering reminder of the challenges ahead. According to recent UN Women reports published in 2026, failing to adopt a gender-just approach to climate change could push an additional 158.3 million women and girls globally into extreme poverty.

For Bangladesh, which is set to graduate from the LDC category later this year, the focus remains on achieving the "Four Betters": Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life.

The 5 April launch at BARC reinforced that closing the gender gap — particularly in access to resources and services — is not merely a social objective, but an economic necessity.

Through initiatives such as the "Women-led Green Micro-enterprise Incubator", the government and FAO aim to improve access to modern technology and climate-smart seeds, boost productivity, and reduce the agricultural sector's carbon footprint.

Although the International Year of the Woman Farmer serves as a focal point for 2026, the broader strategy is designed for the decades ahead. The initiatives launched today are intended to lay the foundations for a developed and climate-resilient Bangladesh.

The path forward requires a shift from short-term adaptation to long-term systemic transformation. Increasing emphasis is being placed on large-scale, women-led nature-based solutions, including the expansion of mangrove belts and the digitalisation of rural supply chains.

Women are expected to play central roles in this transition as tech-savvy agri-entrepreneurs.

The goal for the next decade is clear: to ensure that the woman tilling the saline soil of the coast is no longer merely surviving the climate crisis, but thriving within a sustainable, high-tech economy.

The climate battle will be won or lost in the fields. And in the years ahead, those fields will increasingly be shaped by the leadership, innovation, and resilience of Bangladeshi women.

Susmita Das is the Director of the Agricultural Information Centre at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.