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Gender Research in Dryland Cereals

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Impact pathway

VisionGender-balanced benefits in income, nutrition and food security through improvements in the production and marketing of dryland cereals.

Current Highlights X The Participatory Plant Breeding program in Syria (ICARDA) continues to give

women access to seed varieties and information relevant to their needs. X Women’s groups in Nigeria were supported by linking them with sorghum and

millet producer groups, which resulted in generating increased income for a group of 25 women processors. Processing increased from 50–100 kg of millet per day to 150–250 kg millet per day. Sales income doubled to US$4,000–6,000 a month from US$1,800–2,600.

Implementation X The Dryland Cereals Gender Strategy was prepared, and is being reviewed for

submission to Consortium Office in early December X Three consultants have started pilot studies for gender-disaggregated baseline

data across two crops and three regions in Asia and Africa. One more will start shortly on a third crop in Africa

X Full-time gender research scientists are in the process of being hired

Cluster of Activities under Gender Research fall into three categories:1.   Gender-disaggregated data collection and utilization in Flagship Projects to fully

understand the differing roles, constraints, needs and preferences of men and women to guide R4D priorities.

2.   Technology development with two major aims: (i) to unleash higher income-earning opportunities for women, and (ii) to reduce drudgery of tasks such as harvesting, hand-milling, cooking and other post-harvest operations.

3.   Capacity building to proactively seek and include women CRP implementation in equitable numbers.

Implementation challenges1.   Not sufficient expertise in gender research available.2.   Challenges in disaggregating gender-relevant baseline data in small-holder

agriculture.

Partnerships and Capacities1.   National agro-industries and private firms involved in dryland

cereals processing and marketing, farmer organizations and development partners will be tapped to create communication tools and messages.

2.   Gender experts and practitioners in NARES, FAO and other UN Agencies, and rural development NGOs will help design and implement gender-sensitive data-collection tools and processes and ensure the validity of results obtained.

Key contactsShoba Sivasankar, Director (s.sivasankar@cgiar.org)

Chanda Goodrich Principal Scientist-Empower Women (c.goodrich@cgiar.org)

Satish Nagaraji, Communication Manager (n.satish@cgiar.org)

Future Steps X Gender balance achieved within pilot groups in the target population X Increased scale by extension of pilot to the target population reachable within the

time-frame of operation (9 years) X Increased scope by extension of initial impact on the pilot population with next-

level interventions in the value chain

and public and private institutes and organizations, governments, and farmers worldwide

LED BY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Science with a human face

Increased food security and

improved welfare

Strategic Gender Research to inform R4D priorities

Gender-Sensitive R4D within Flagship Projects

• Gender-disaggregated data on dryland cereal value chains • Improved varieties to create market opportunities for women• Increase “whole-plant value” for women and children• Gender-sensitive crop management interventions• Better access to input and information for women• Reduction in drudgery, and benefit from new business

opportunities

Rese

arch

O

utpu

ts

Improved nutrition for young children

and mothers

Reduced poverty and gender

empowerment

October 2013