Diverse Women for Diversity International Fest concludes in Doon
my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 8 Mar: The three-day ‘Diverse Women for Diversity International Fest 2026’ concluded on Sunday at the biodiversity conservation farm of Navdanya, here. The festival, themed “Climate Resilience and Regeneration”, began on 6 March and culminated on 8 March, coinciding with International Women’s Day.
The event brought together around 14 representatives from seven countries along with more than 150 women from nine Indian states. The festival celebrated the diversity of life, cultures, indigenous foods and traditional knowledge systems.
During the festival, women farmers created a “Garden of Hope” by sowing seeds and shared “Breads of Freedom,” symbolising respect for Mother Earth and collective responsibility towards protecting nature. Women from diverse regions offered prayers, music, dance and traditional songs reflecting their cultural and ecological traditions.
The programme was led by noted environmentalist Dr Vandana Shiva, founder and president of Navdanya. Women participants from different states shared experiences on the conservation of traditional seeds, protection of biodiversity and the challenges posed by climate change. Participants from several countries also discussed local food traditions, seed saving practices and food sovereignty.
Addressing the concluding session after sowing seeds of hope, Shiva said protecting India’s biodiversity, indigenous seeds and ecological heritage is one of the most urgent tasks today. Marking International Women’s Day, she emphasised the need for collective commitment to safeguard nature and sustainable food systems.
She added that considering women as weak and the Earth as lifeless is fundamentally flawed. “The Earth has the ability to regenerate and care for itself, but it is our responsibility to protect it from the damage caused by toxic chemicals,” she said, warning that excessive interference with nature in recent decades has intensified global warming.
Senior physician Meera Shiva also addressed the gathering. Environmental experts Debbie Darlier from the United States and Caroline participated in the session and shared their perspectives. Caroline and Bhawna read out a Women’s Day declaration in English and Hindi respectively.
Women farmers from Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag, Tehri and Uttarkashi districts, along with participants from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, shared experiences of organic farming and presented collective performances of songs centred on seeds, food and biodiversity.
Participants from Ladakh, Assam, Hyderabad, Gujarat and Chandigarh were also present at the event. International participants from the United States, Germany, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Nepal took part in discussions on climate change, biodiversity conservation and sustainable food systems. The programme was moderated by Bhawna Semwal.
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