Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/140560

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A multi-dimensional framework for responsible and socially inclusive digital innovation in food, water, and land systems
(Journal Article, 2025-04) Opola, Felix Ouko; Langan, Simon; Arulingam, Indika; Schumann, C.; Singaraju, N.; Joshi, Deepa; Ghosh, Surajit
Digital innovations can offer solutions to various food, water, and land systems challenges globally. However, there are concerns on the ethical and social inclusivity aspects of these innovations, particularly for marginalized groups of people in less industrialised countries. In this article, we describe the design and development of a digital inclusivity framework, which builds from a detailed synthesis of inclusivity in digital literature. Key insights from the review were collated into five dimensions: risk mitigation, accessibility, usability, benefits, and participation. These dimensions can be assessed by means of twenty-one concrete and measurable sub indicators. Our focus was to enable a more holistic approach to the usually technocentric design of digital innovations. The framework, including the associated indicators, lays the groundwork for the development of a digital inclusivity index, a tool for assessing and fostering the inclusivity of digital innovations in food, water, and land systems.
Changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation
(Journal Article, 2025-05) Colloff, M. J.; Gorddard, R.; Munera-Roldán, C.; Locatelli, B.; Lavorel, S.; Allain, S.; Bruley, E.; Butler, J. R. A.; Dubo, T.; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; González-García, A.; Lécuyer, L.; Lo, M.; Loos, J.; Palomo, I.; Topp, E.; Vallet, A.; Walters, G.
1. Successful adaptation often involves changes to the decision context to enable new ways of thinking and acting on climate change. Using 16 adaptation initiatives the authors were engaged with, we analysed how and why decision contexts changed to identify ways to improve adaptation as a process of collective deliberation and social learning. 2. We used the scope of the adaptation issue and governance arrangements to classify initiatives into four types and scored changes in the decision context using three frameworks: (1) the values, rules and knowledge (VRK) perspective to identify changes to adaptation decision-making; (2) the five dimensions of futures consciousness to identify the building of adaptation capabilities and (3) the social learning cycle to reveal evidence of reflexive learning. 3. Initiatives using novel governance arrangements for discrete problems (‘problem governance’) or complex, systemic issues (‘systems governance’) scored highest for influences of VRK, futures consciousness and the social learning cycle on the decision context. Initiatives using existing management for discrete problems (‘problem management’) scored moderately for change in the decision context, while those using existing management for systemic issues (‘systems management’) scored low because change was often impeded by existing rules. 4. All three frameworks influenced decision contexts in systems governance initiatives. Problem governance initiatives revealed interactions of VRK and futures consciousness but limited influence of VRK on the social learning cycle. Scope and governance arrangements differ with the adaptation issue and initiatives adapt over time: some small-scale ones became more systemic, developed novel governance arrangements and changed the decision context. 5. Our findings do not show that some adaptation initiatives are better or more transformative than others; just that their scope and appropriate governance arrangements are different. This questions the notion that successful adaptation requires building generic transformative adaptation approaches and capabilities. There is a diversity of arrangements that work. What is important is to align the approach to the adaptation problem. We suggest two directions for improving adaptation initiatives: first, by influencing how they can shift between problem and systems focus and between standard management and novel governance, and secondly, by using methods to diagnose and direct change in the decision context.
Creating safe spaces for decision-making in conservation agriculture: using the Gender Action Learning System methodology
(Report, 2024-12-30) Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Chinyopiro, A.; Nortje, Karen
The CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa also known as Ukama Ustawi (UU) Initiative’s goal is to empower millions of vulnerable smallholder farmers to transition from maize mixed systems to sustainably intensified, diversified, and de-risked agrifood systems is well underway. The initiative is being implemented in 13 African countries using coordinated transformative change interventions driven by an understanding of the unique multidimensional challenges and the opportunities they present in the different local and national contexts. Gender Action Learning System (GALS) is a powerful household Gender Transformative Approach (GTA) that guides people toward the desired development and growth within the household and communities. The methodology helps to nurture and grow the desire and passion of those involved to invest their efforts and resources towards sustainably achieving realistic desired futures, the vision. It brings satisfaction to household members by encouraging togetherness and united focus to coordinate their work energies and share equitably their material and financial resources. When GALS users experience challenges, the methodology builds their resilience by addressing them appropriately before seeking external assistance. This brings about a mindset change in people to see leadership responsibility as an opportunity and not a challenge. GALS provides an effective means for planning as well as for monitoring the implementation of the planned individual or household activities and for evaluating the attainment of results. It helps all people involved to generate lessons that guide future planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (PM&E). The flexibility in adapting the GALS methodology tool allows for use across age groups, genders, ethnicities, educational levels, and other social classification criteria. The CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa, therefore recruited the expertise of MERAMO Consulting through Work Package Five (WP5) to facilitate the implementation of GALS in the communities of two of its implementing partners namely Machinga Agricultural Development Division (MADD) and Total LandCare Malawi (TLC). The implementation of this activity was delivered to 4,095 beneficiaries surpassing the planned target of 4,000 households. UU WP5 managed to sensitize and involve the stakeholders of TLC and MADD in the respective communities of Nkhotakota and Balaka on GALS as a household gender transformative methodology. The process imparted GALS knowledge and its facilitation skills to the 40 selected ‘GALS Champions’ 1 and 404 household trainers as well as training 3,651 household members. It has mobilized the communities to work together as households in pursuit of their jointly developed visions, enabling them to analyze their household gender division of roles and find ways of addressing their anticipated challenges while creating ways of creating valuable networks and relationship building. A summary of the GALS implementation has been captured in this GALS YouTube video from across different communities with participants sharing key insights and lessons learned. The main recommendation emanating from this work is that UU and future CGIAR Science Programs consider delivering its other community programs using adapted GALS tools to achieve adequate mobilization of communities, active participation, and effective utilization. By embarking on participatory GALS impact monitoring and evaluation, UU will not only motivate the communities to achieve more using the methodology but also expand the initiatives’ ability to provide coaching, ensure continued GALS momentum, and co-create, and co-design participatory research with local households and communities.
Proceedings of the Pre-launch of the Ministry of Agriculture Gender Mainstreaming Guidelines
(Conference Proceedings, 2024-12-30) Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Opola, Felix; Mapedza, Everisto; Joshi, Deepa
Shrimp farming and the struggles of landless women in Paikgacha, southern coastal Bangladesh: implications for nutrition-sensitive agri-food system
(Brief, 2024-12-30) Begum, Salma; Sharma, Indu K.; Joshi, Deepa; Garrett, J.
Advancing equitable access to common pool water resources for fishers in coastal Bangladesh
(Brief, 2024-12-30) Sharma, Indu K.; Joshi, Deepa; Rahman, M.; Moyna, S. S.; Mukit, T.; Mou, M.; Haque, N.; Ghosh, J.; Basnet, Sahara
Youth-led aquaculture in Northern Ghana
(Blog Post, 2024-08-12) Tall, Maimouna; Appiah, Sarah; Buisson, Marie-Charlotte; Zane, Giulia
Reflections on multi-actor, transdisciplinary leadership training on the water, energy, food, and ecosystems nexus approach for women in Nepal
(Report, 2024-12-30) Buchy, Marlène; Koirala, Sanju; Khadka, Manohara; Pradhan, M. S.; Onta, N.
Focus and impact on gender equality, youth, and social inclusion
(Brief, 2024-12-30) CGIAR Initiative on NEXUS Gains
A NEXUS Gains impact area brief shares how the Initiative uses people-centered approaches to prioritize the well-being and strategic interests of women, youth, and marginalized groups across the water–energy–food–ecosystems nexus.
Focus and impact on poverty reduction, livelihoods, and jobs
(Brief, 2024-12-30) CGIAR Initiative on NEXUS Gains
A NEXUS Gains impact area brief shares examples of how policy research and engagement in water, energy, food, and ecosystems can help to address rural poverty by increasing agricultural incomes and creating jobs.
The farmer as an agricultural extension agent in coastal Bangladesh
(Brief, 2024-12-10) Joshi, Deepa; Panagiotou, A.; Rahman, M. W.
Women defining water, energy, food, and ecosystems leadership in Nepal
(News Item, 2024-11-26) Koirala, Sanju
The Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus Leadership Program in Nepal aims to not only strengthen leadership and negotiation skills, but to create champions equipped with the technical knowledge and tools, and create the enabling conditions (including recognition and support networks) these champions need, to advance equitable WEFE nexus decision-making and implementation.
Youth engagement in agripreneurship in Zimbabwe: report and recommendations
(Report, 2024-11-12) Mukwashi, T.; Mabika, V.; Mokhema, Seipati; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Davis, Kristin E.
Africa has witnessed various initiatives, programs, projects and investments aiming at poverty alleviation, agricultural sector strengthening, and rural income generation. Interventions such as agricultural training and technology adoption have shown promising results, boosting productivity and incomes among smallholder farmers. In Zimbabwe, the Ukama Ustawi (UU) initiative has spearheaded efforts to engage youth in agribusiness, fostering food security and social inclusion. This CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa aims to empower millions of vulnerable smallholder farmers to transition from maize-mixed systems to sustainably intensified, diversified, and de-risked agri-food systems. One of the research activities under this initiative is Work Package 5 (WP5): Empower and Engage Women and Youth in Agribusiness Ecosystems. Following landscaping study and dialogue in Zimbabwe and Malawi, UU plans to implement brief, impactful interventions intended to pilot or amplify existing youth agripreneurship interventions in both countries. The intervention will be implemented over a period of six months in Zimbabwe, and it will align with WP5.
Design of intervention for youth engagement in agripreneurship in Malawi
(Report, 2024-11-12) Chitika, R.; Nhlane, M.; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Mokhema, Seipati; Davis, Kristin E.
The CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa also known as Ukama Ustawi” (UU) Initiative’s goal is to empower millions of vulnerable smallholder farmers to transition from maize mixed systems to sustainably intensified, diversified, and de-risked agrifood systems is well underway. The initiative is being implemented in 13 African countries using coordinated transformative change interventions driven by an understanding of the unique multidimensional challenges and the opportunities they present in the different local and national contexts. One of the research activities in Ukama Ustawi is Work Package 5 (WP5): Empower and Engage women and youth in agribusiness ecosystems. In implementing this work package in Malawi, the project commissioned a landscaping study to map out the multidimensional challenges faced by the youth in agribusiness, the current interventions that are addressing the challenges, and the unique opportunities for coordinated interventions. A design workshop was held in which key stakeholders in the agribusiness space discussed the opportunities for coordinated interventions to find the best way to use available resources and linkages in a project that furthers the goals of Work Package 5. This was supplemented by key informant interviews and follow-up design activities by the Equip Consulting Group team. The proposed intervention title is “Scaling Youth Innovations in Agribusiness.” The purpose is to identify innovations for scaling a youth organization called Associated Center for Agro-based Development and Entrepreneurship Support (ACADES). Specifically, the intervention will seek to increase youth participation in agribusiness by showcasing the benefits other young people have gotten from agribusiness and to promote the sustainability of youth ventures in agribusiness by outlining best practices that have led to ACADES's continued growth. The project will be implemented over nine months, in Mchinji and Nkhotakota Districts in the central region of Malawi and will coordinate or partner with financial institutions, other youth networks, the National Youth Council of Malawi, and the private sector.
Designing a multi-stakeholder platform to manage the Lower Kafue Basin in Zambia
(Brief, 2024-09-30) Siangulube, Freddie Sayi; Mapedza, Everisto; Buisson, Marie-Charlotte; Ng'ambi, Florence
Breaking the GESI policy-practice gridlock in agriculture in Ethiopia: GESI scorecards as self-assessment tools
(News Item, 2024-02-05) Joshi, Deepa; Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Mapedza, Everisto; Adane, S.; Mekonnen, M.
Agricultural extension services in Bangladesh: experiences of vulnerability, access, and benefits
(Brief, 2024-11-08) Joshi, Deepa; Panagiotou, A.; Rahman, M. W.
Bangladesh, one of the world's most densely populated countries, faces significant challenges related to poverty, food insecurity, and agricultural productivity. With over 40% of the population engaged in agriculture, the majority of which involves smallholder rice farming, these challenges are even more pronounced. Approximately 92% of farmers own less than 0.5 hectares of land, making it difficult for them to achieve sustainable incomes. While efforts like irrigation and triple-cropping aim to intensify crop production, they often fail to ensure economic stability, especially in climate-vulnerable coastal regions. Farmers in these areas frequently resort to seasonal migration and face severe economic distress. Given these conditions, agricultural innovation and access to extension services are crucial for improving food security and farmer livelihoods. However, adoption of new agricultural practices remains low, especially among women, due to challenges such as low literacy, cultural norms, and limited social mobility. Agricultural extension services are vital to addressing these challenges. Traditionally provided by public institutions, these services are increasingly supplemented by private and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), driven by declining government funding. Public extension services focus on providing subsidized inputs, such as seeds and fertilizers. However, inefficiencies arise due to poor coordination between stakeholders, leading to contradictory advice and resource misallocation. Furthermore, outreach is often insufficient, particularly for marginalized groups like women and landless farmers, who are frequently excluded from formal training programs. Cultural practices, such as purdah, further limit women’s participation in public activities, restricting their access to agricultural knowledge. While informal networks, including farmer-led clubs and local NGOs, play an important role in disseminating information, they lack the capacity to drive large-scale, sustainable change. A study conducted in Polder 34/2 of Batiaghata Upazila, Khulna District, highlights the limitations of formal extension services. The research found that most farmers rely on informal knowledge-sharing networks or peer observation, as formal training mainly benefits landowning farmers. Those who received formal extension services reported better crop yields, whereas those relying on informal networks struggled with climate-related issues, such as salinity and irregular rainfall. The study also revealed that extension services predominantly focus on crop systems, neglecting the important roles of livestock and fisheries, which are also vital to the agrarian economy. This lack of integration across agricultural sectors further exacerbates the vulnerabilities faced by smallholder farmers. In conclusion, while agricultural extension services have the potential to improve food security and support smallholder farmers, the current system is fragmented and inadequate. The research calls for better coordination between public, private, and informal actors and targeted approaches to ensure marginalized groups, especially women, have access to agricultural knowledge. Long-term, programmatic interventions are needed to build a more resilient and inclusive agricultural system capable of addressing the evolving challenges posed by climate change and socio-economic inequality in Bangladesh.
Ukama Ustawi: a GALS approach to empowering Malawian farmers
(Blog Post, 2024-08-07) Mabele, Thato; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah
Exploring policy coherence to understand limited progress of gender and social inclusion in the energy sector: the case of Nepal
(Journal Article, 2024-07-01) Buchy, Marlene; Shakya, Shristi
Goal 7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030 but securing universal access to energy supplies remains a challenge worldwide. There is increased recognition that gender and social inclusion (GESI) is critical for the transition towards low-carbon energy. Nepal’s inclusive 2015 Constitution, and its 2021 federal-level Gender Equality Policy translate this commitment. Likewise, Nepal is committed to SDG 7. Yet energy policy includes only limited provisions for ensuring energy access by marginalized groups and women. This paper focuses on energy policy coherence to identify cohesion between policies and policy instruments at different levels of governance to identify bottlenecks to GESI. Using a policy coherence and feminist policy approach within an energy justice context, it traces the coherence of GESI policy through time and in relation to overall GESI policy objectives. Horizontal and internal coherence are assessed through the parallels/disjoints between energy-related periodic plans, policies, budgets, and GESI aims. The evolution of GESI in energy investments has been slow in part because of a narrow conceptualization of the policy problem and a lack of coherence and synchronization across documents, which undermines implementation of the GESI agenda.
A landscape analysis of youth engagement in agripreneurship in Malawi
(Report, 2024-04-30) Kabuli, A.; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; Davis, Kristin E.
This report aims to explore the multidimensional challenges and opportunities for youth in agripreneurship in Malawi for a better understanding of interventions for youth in agribusiness. It examines the enabling and disenabling environment for young agripreneurs and how best to engage youth within the agribusiness sector. The report draws on in-depth interviews, workshops, and secondary literature to highlight key issues and strategies to engage youth agripreneurs in Malawi. It also offers recommendations for actors, practitioners, and policymakers to enhance transformative interventions for youth participation in agribusiness. Suggested measures include improving access to input, market, and equipment, setting up quota systems targeting youth agripreneurs, and better coordinating youth programs between ministries and the private sectors. The report also emphasized that these strategies are not just to achieve youth inclusion in agribusiness but also for the sustainability of youth programs which contribute to building resilient societies.

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