In the rural village of Harpur, India, women-led groups like Shiv Ganga Samuha Sichai Samity are using solar-powered irrigation pumps to transform their lives while challenging traditional gender norms. These solar pumps provide affordable and clean energy for irrigation, while addressing historical water scarcity issues and lowering environmental impact. As a result, women farmers have been able to diversify crops, significantly increasing their revenue. This fosters independence from their husbands’ income and enables them to better support their families. The group now supplies water to over a hundred farmers, further boosting their income. Beyond financial benefits, these initiatives have brought women greater confidence and self-reliance. However, these women face challenges in a male-dominated society, including discriminatory comments and a lack of local maintenance support. Despite these obstacles, plans are underway to scale the project to other villages. Sunaina Devi, a member of the group, calls for further investments in technology that support smallholder women farmers and places women at the forefront of climate adaptation.
