Gender Strategy Approach to

the Drylands Systems Research

Program

Amneh Alqudah

University of Guelph

EDRD 6000

Background

What are the drylands?

Very dry regions

Rural households worldwide depend on livestock for:

Food, income, assets

Sustaining poor households

Source: http://www.fao.org/3/a-y5738e/y5738e06.htm

Importance

of Gender

Women represent

almost half of the workforce

Limited access to agricultural assets, inputs, services, new

technologies & markets

Ultimately effect food nutrition &

security

Constraints impact their

ability to access & use

technologies or engage in community incentives

Women’s contribution

unrecognized & invisible

Goals & Objectives of Gender

Strategy

Goals

Promote of gender equity

Objectives

Analyze data & prioritize gender in research

Understand causes of gender disparities

Use accommodative and transformative approaches

Decrease gender gaps with resources and policies

Involve men and women in technology, and allow

women to have a share in income

Source: http://www.cgiar.org/consortium-news/a-

focus-on-partnerships-to-move-from-degraded-

drylands-to-productive-systems/

Work in progress

1) Effectively use skills,

abilities and resources

•Enhance and use skills of women

to maximize production

2) Strengthen

understandings and

relationships

•Strengthen understandings

researchers gender gaps and

why they take place

•Create understanding between

members of the community

3) Address issues of

values, attitudes,

motivations, & conditions

for sustainable

development

•Address gender issues, change

attitudes towards gender, and

improve livelihoods

Ways Forward

Who is involved? CGIAR

CGIAR centres involved are:

ICARDA, ICRISAT, Biodiversity International, CIAT,

CIP, ICRAF, ILRI and IWMI

Multidisciplinary Research Teams: Biophysical

scientists, economists, sociologists, anthropologists,

gender specialists and development partners

Source: http://www.cgiar.org/who-we-are/ Source: http://www.cgiarfund.org/consortium_cgiar_centers

Where is this taking place?

5 regions:

West African Sahel and the Dryland Savanna

East and Southern Africa

North Africa and West Asia

Central Asia and the Caucasus

South Asia

Source: http://www.fao.org/3/a-y5738e/y5738e06.htm

Research Activities Potential activities

Adapted across the regions

Involve collecting data segregated by gender

Recognition of gender gaps in: income, decision-making,

assets, etc

Quantitative & qualitative data understand the context of

these individuals

Using data:

Identify avenues of intervention

Investigate into developing greater social change

Uncover ways to have equal benefits for both genders

Gender Research

Bringing gender into focus

Gender disaggregated data

Gender transformative approach

Making research gender responsive.

Selection of research methodologies:

Literature review; surveys; qualitative data collection;

participant observation; and data analysis.

Participatory Action Research

Involve locals and researchers

Robert Chambers (1997) :

Enabling the local people “to

express their realities” is quite powerful and insightful

Affected are most often left out

Lack of understanding for what they value

Gender strategy :

Researchers and professionals understand gender

disparities and situations for women and poor

households

http://www.mekongcommons.org/passion-peoples-power-

defend-free-flowing-salween/

References

Baden, S. (1998). Gender issues in agricultural liberalisation. BRIDGE, Institute of Development Studies

Drylands systems - Integrated agricultural production systems for improved food security and livelihoods in dry

areas - Gender strategy. (2014). YPARD. Retrieved September 16, 2014, from

http://www.ypard.net/sites/ypard.net/files/DS-CRP-genderstrategy2014.pdf

Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. (2010). Roles of women in agriculture. FAO Corporate

Document Repository. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/am307e/am307e00.pdf

Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. (2012). Livestock sector development for poverty

reduction: an economic and policy perspective - Livestock’s many virtues. FAO Corporate Document

Repository. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2744e/i2744e00.pdf

Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. (2013). Understanding and integrating gender issues into

livestock projects and programmes. Retrieved from, http://www.fao-

ilo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/fao_ilo/pdf/Children_s_Work_ LivestockP_V.pdf Available

online:http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3216e/i3216e.pdf

Gender strategy for livestock and fish: CGIAR research plan 3.7. (2013). CGIAR Library. Retrieved September 16,

2014, from https://library.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10947/2886/

CGIAR%20Research%20Program%20on%20Livestock%20and%20Fish%20-

%20Gender%20strategy.pdf?sequence=1

Colverson, K.E. 2013. Closing the gender gap in agriculture: A trainer’s manual. ILRI Manual 9. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.

Okali, C. (2012). Gender analysis: Engaging with rural development and agricultural policy processes, Working

Paper 026, Future Agricultures Consortium. Brighton: IDS.

Peterson, V.,S. (2005). How the meaning of gender matters in political economy, New Political Economy, 10(4), 499-

521.

The End!

Thank you