At nearly 6 Lakh, the transhumant tribal population of Jammu and Kashmir is more than the total population of many countries. The major constraints faced by tribal women farmers of Jammu and Kashmir (India) are: 1. Gender inequality: I mainly work with tribal women farmers in order to provide them with a small but steady income throughout the year. Here we have a male-dominated society where both men and women work in the field but men have all the income in their pockets. There is no direct income to the hands of women, which  makes them weaker in society as well as in decision-making at home.  2. Landless farmers: Tribal farmers have no land or small plots and they have to regularly migrate from one place to another; it was therefore very important to provide them with an enterprise that requires little or no land. Keeping this in mind, backyard poultry was the best suited option for socioeconomic upliftment of tribal women farmers.

Method - The project aimed to provide a consistent income for tribal women farmers throughout the year by supplying them with a small unit of 20 to 30 high egg-laying backyard poultry birds. Preference was given to widowed and women farmers with health problems. The women were trained in rearing and feeding the poultry birds in their backyard and advised to feed them mostly kitchen and agricultural waste. The eggs were sold directly to the market at a high price.The breed of chicken used was the Kadaknath, a rare variety with black flesh that is sold at a premium price. This breed is often referred to as the 'Lamborghini of chicken' due to its unique characteristics. By raising and selling this breed, the women farmers were able to improve their socioeconomic status through a small but steady income.

I have successfully developed two poultry villages that have become hubs for poultry egg production. Over 40 women farmers have been able to start their own enterprises, providing them with a small but steady income throughout the year. Additionally, these women farmers were organized into small self-help groups and advised to collect and sell eggs in large quantities for better returns. These women farmers have become community leaders and are now training women from nearby villages. However, family acceptance remains a major constraint as male members still hesitate to send their women to markets as traders.