The Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective (TNWC) is dedicated to developing resilient agricultural practices to support local food security in southern India. Initially formed to combat gender-based violence, the collective has since expanded its focus to include agricultural education, production, and activism, particularly benefiting lower caste women. By embracing traditional agroecology practices such as intercultivation and mixed cropping, the women strengthen local food sovereignty, access, and nutrition. TNWC operates on three key principles: uplifting women to support their participation in agriculture, promoting democratic local governance, and advancing resilient agricultural practices for food security. Through the revival of millet-based farming, supported by the Millet Network of India (MINI), TNWC plays a vital role in enhancing food security. Millet’s high nutritional value and resilience under adverse climatic conditions make it central to their efforts. Founded by local Tamil Nadu woman Sheelu, the collective emphasizes the multifaceted role of education in addressing issues of gender, caste, and environmental justice. As Sheelu explains, their ecological initiatives “not only ensure food security at the household level, but also contribute to the climate-resilient community, which is an answer to today’s global problem of climate change.”
