ISLAMABAD, Aug 1: National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) has launched a programme to reduce pesticide risk among women in cotton-producing areas where as many as 84 per cent women cotton-pickers fall sick due to exposure to pesticides.

Dr Iftikhar, head of National IMP Control Programme (NAT-IPM) at NARC, said this while talking to Dawn.

Dr Iftikhar said high dependence on pesticides and chemical- based control measures for various crops had not led to a significant increase in yields but an increase in pest virulence, disturbed agro-eco-system, economic losses, health hazards and polluted environment.

He said about 3 million people get sick from acute pesticide poisoning, while 0.22 million people die annually around the world. Majority of the victims belong to the developing countries, he said.

The NAT-IPM chief said though women do not spray pesticides in the field, they as active participants in diverse on-farm and off-farm operations were especially vulnerable to adverse effects of exposure due to lack of education and awareness and unavailability of protective wear and equipment.

What is more, Dr Iftikhar said, Pakistan lacked in any regular monitoring of the exposure of farm workers, of the level of pesticides in blood or effects on reproduction systems of women as well as men. Female farm workers mostly do not receive medical treatment for pesticide poisoning, he added.

He said the NAT-IPM, through FAO and AGFUND, undertook a pilot study on the project in the cotton-growing areas of Khairpur district, where it was already executing a Cotton IPM Programme. The objective, Dr Iftikhar said, was to train women on pesticide exposure and risk reduction within their traditional, cultural and socio-economic milieu.

Under this project, he said, training methodologies of various health exercises related to pesticide poisoning for rural women in cotton production were developed in coordination with national stakeholders and key professionals from various organisations.

Dr Iftikhar said the project at the outset trained 8 women facilitators and in their turn, they conducted a 3-month training course in Khairpur district in which 28 women participated. This, he added, was followed by the establishment of 14 Women Open Schools (WOS) by these women facilitators. At these schools, 251 rural women were trained in pesticide risk reduction methodologies in four sub-districts of Khairpur and Sukkur. Of these, 92 per cent were farm workers, while the rest were housewives. In terms of age, 41 per cent were between 20-30, 20.4 per cent less than 20, 20.8 per cent in the age group 31-40, 13.1 per cent in the age group 41-50, 3.8 per cent between 51-60 and 0.8 per cent aged over 60 years.

A high proportion of these trainees - 65 per cent - were illiterate. About 79 per cent belonged to farming families including 48 per cent with small land holdings.

The feedback from the project has been quite encouraging already, observed Dr N.I. Hashmi, Director General, NARC. This is reflected in the way these women now carry out various activities - storage of pesticides, disposal of empty containers, washing of clothes of their men used while spraying, keeping children and livestock away from sprayed fields etc.

As another benefit, these women disseminate the training information to other family members, relatives, neighbours and colleagues working in the fields more effectively as compared to men.

Discussions with focus groups of women disclosed that women no longer considered pesticides as the only remedy against pest attack and tend to employ natural and cultural pest management alternatives. As regards the males, they were at first un- cognizant of the threat posed by pesticides to women and, therefore, questioned the need to provide the latter with the know-how to protect themselves.

In areas where the NAT-IPM was already conducting training courses in integrated pest management, male resistance to awareness and training programmes for women has declined.

Experience has, however, shown that it was not prudent to train women unless men too were involved in training programmes in order to derive full results therefrom, Dr Iftikhar remarked.

Although more women - about half - reported that they were consulted in majority of on-farm activities in decision-making, actual decisions, nonetheless, remained as tightly a male domain as ever.