CGIAR Initiative on Gender Equality

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/117893

Part of the CGIAR Action Area on Systems Transformation

Primary CGIAR impact area: Gender equality, youth and social inclusion

https://www.cgiar.org/initiative/26-her-harnessing-equality-for-resilience-in-the-agrifood-system/

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Binti Shujaaz
(Extension Material, 2025-01) Komba, Lucy; Mpenze, Neema; Mbugua, Narayan; Biamah, Stephan; Deacon, Bridget; Galiè, Alessandra; Achandi, Esther; Omondi, Immaculate A.; Jeremiah, Adolf; Jumba, Humphrey; Ngoteya, Godfrey; Kariuki, Eunice; Omore, Amos O.
Binti Shujaaz means “heroine” in Swahili, a fitting name for the young women who are persevering in chicken keeping despite restrictive gender norms in their communities that can limit young women in agri-business. This comic book written in Swahili was distributed in Tanzania in 2024 to support community conversations about norms. The stories were informed by research on social norms conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute.
Guide to developing quantitative tools for measuring gender norms in agrifood systems: IPSR Innovation Package and Scaling Readiness Report
(Report, 2024-12) Buono, Nicoletta; Kitalyi, Aichi; Mwakanyamale, Devis; Msita, Sarah
Working toward this objective, experts in social norms measurement from FHI360, an international development organization based in Washington, DC worked with IFPRI and IITA to co-develop a survey instrument to measure inequitable social and gender norms within cassava, fish, and chicken AgriFood-Systems (AFS). The instrument was developed through an iterative process including extensive stakeholder consultation and cognitive testing, and was piloted in Tanzania and Nigeria with actors operating in or supporting/ influencing the three AFS. The pilot data will be used to develop a counting based, multi-dimensional index measuring inequitable social and gender norms within the three target AFS. The index will be designed to be comparable across AFS, geographical regions, and between actor groups performing different AFS roles. The index can be used to inform the design of gender transformative approaches to address harmful social and gender norms in AFS.
Promoting gender transformative approaches in agrifood systems: The importance of co-design process in fostering individual and organizational changes
(Blog Post, 2024) Adeyeye, Olajumoke; Daramola, Ochuwa Favour
Transforming Agriculture Through Co-Designing: A Path to Gender Equity in Agrifood Systems
(Blog Post, 2024-12) Msita, Sarah; Daramola, Ochuwa Favour
Harvesting Hope: Empowering Farmers to thrive in Kenya Semi-Arid Lands
(Video, 2024-12) Mfalme Afrika Production Ltd
Inequalities in agri-food systems in sub-Saharan Africa stem from unequal decision-making power, limited access to resources, and land ownership disparities. Climate change exacerbates these inequalities, disproportionately affecting women. Existing policies and governance systems have not adequately addressed these challenges. Socio-technical innovation bundles (STIBs) offer a potential solution by addressing climate change while challenging sociocultural norms perpetuating inequalities. The CGIAR Gender Equality Initiative (HER+) collaborated with the CGIAR Diversification in East and Southern Africa to enhance climate resilience and women's empowerment in Kenya through the STIBs approach. Adopting farmer-preferred STIBs, such as decision-making, gender and nutrition, certified seeds, climate-smart practices like intercropping, extension services, and financial access, led to higher productivity, resilience, and empowerment. Key outcomes included: sustained crop performance despite adverse climate conditions, increased household decision-making collaboration due to women’s greater farming knowledge and financial contributions, and improved food security through diversified diets and food accessibility. These results highlight progress toward equitable and resilient agri-food systems.
Transforming Gender Norms in Tanzania: Empowering Women Farmers
(Video, 2025-01-30) CGIAR
Women cassava farmers in Tanzania share their experiences facing restrictive gender norms contributing to development challenges. They highlight issues such as limited access to loans and ownership of agricultural land. Devis Mwakanyamale, Research Associate at IITA Tanzania, explains how the CGIAR Initiative on Gender Equality, HER+ -TRANSFORM work package collaborates with partners to design gender transformative interventions to reduce these normative constraints. Geraldina Mushema from a partner organization provides insights into the co-design process of these interventions and the benefits of the approach.
Capturing the Journey Toward Transformative Impact: An Early Assessment of the West Bengal Learning Labs Under the CGIAR Initiative on Gender Equality
(Report, 2024-12) Jain, H.; Mukhopadhyay, P.; Gartaula, H.N.; Chadha, D.; Nayak, P.K.; Goel, K.; Shivhare, R.; Puskur, Ranjitha
Socio-technical innovation bundles for dietary diversity, women’s empowerment, and climate resilience: Findings from the baseline study
(Report, 2024-12) Jain, Harsha; Gartaula, Hom Nath; Shivhare, Richa; Nayak, Prakash Kumar; Chadha, Deepali; Johri, Yash; Mukhopadhyay, Prama; Goel, Kritika; Dullo, Anandita; Puskur, Ranjitha
The consequences of global climate change on food security are projected to be far-reaching, with complex dynamics varying across locations and timeframes. In many developing regions, climate change exacerbates ecosystem degradation, increases agricultural risks, and disproportionately affects vulnerable groups. Women, in particular, bear the brunt of these challenges due to gender disparities and social inequalities embedded in agrifood systems (UN Women, 2022). To address these challenges, the CGIAR Initiative on Gender Equality (HER+ Initiative) aims to enhance the climate resilience of vulnerable women in food systems across the global south. The Initiative focuses on improving outcomes in areas such as nutrition, health, food security, poverty, livelihoods, gender equality, climate adaptation, environmental health, and biodiversity.
Enabling socio-technical innovation bundles (STIBs) implementation in Ethiopia: a literature review of the policy context
(Report, 2024-12-30) Chakona, G.; Mapedza, Everisto; Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Nchanji, E.; Ketema, D. M.; Gartaula, H. N.; Joshi, Deepa; Puskur, R.
This report provides a comprehensive review of the intersection of agriculture, gender and socio-technical innovation bundles (STIBs) in Ethiopia, with a focus on understanding how policies, strategies and legislation can support the empowerment and resilience of women within the country's agrifood systems. STIBs are a comprehensive approach to tackling multifaceted challenges in agrifood systems by integrating technology with social and cultural innovations. Understanding how the innovations can be embedded into the existing policies within the agricultural sector to empower women and enhance gender equality, including women’s resilience and self-confidence is crucial. Agriculture remains the cornerstone of Ethiopia's economy, contributing 34% to the GDP and employing about 75% of the population. The report explores how aligning STIBs with Ethiopia's national development strategies can support key priority areas such as agricultural productivity, gender equality, food security, climate change adaptation, inclusive economic growth, technological advancement and education and training initiatives.
Focusing on the process of research: Embedding reflexivity for gender-transformative action
(Manual, 2024-10) Lopez, Diana E.; Bailey, Arwen; Osei-Amponsah, Charity; Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh; Cullen, Beth; Debevec, Liza; Ludwig, David; Portocarrero, Ana; Rietveld, Anne; Wong, Franz; Farnworth, Cathy Rozel
AUDIENCE: This document is designed to help gender researchers who want to make the processes of their research more reflexive, critical and gender transformative. GOAL: To support gender researchers in identifying and incorporating intentional reflexivity for transformative action into gender research in food, land, and water systems. This goal’s relevance rises as researchers become more aware and concerned about the potential negative impacts of their research on communities and livelihoods. The document proposes a new gender research standard that could aid researchers to improve their (1) research quality, (2) research relevance, (3) and research accountability in a way that, at worst, does no harm and, at best, supports transformative changes towards greater gender equity and equality.
The role of women’s empowerment in food crises prevention and mitigation under climate stress
(Conference Paper, 2024) Ringler, Claudia; Bryan, Elizabeth; Nanavaty, Reema
Despite small improvements, gender and social inequalities remain pervasive; they lead to worse outcomes for women and children and Indigenous populations during food, energy, and environmental, including climate, crises, widening gaps in access to food and employment and increasing overall inequity in income between the rich and the poor. At the same time there is considerable evidence that women have large roles to play in crisis mitigation, particularly in the most vulnerable populations, and that their engagement in decision-making processes supports crisis prevention. To avoid that humanitarian and food crises increase gender and social inequities and to ensure that women can exert their agency in reducing crises impacts, governments, donors and practitioners need to actively work with and for women, girls and Indigenous populations, providing opportunities for their active participation in decision-making processes and policy responses at all levels, ensuring access to digital tools, information, finance, and raising awareness on and actively working toward preventing gender-based violence.
Final Monitoring and Evaluation Report on Socio-Technical Innovation Bundles for Gender Equality and Climate Resilience in Kenya
(Report, 2024-12) Ayuya, Oscar Ingasia; Jong, Arnold Otieno; Lutomia, Cosmas Kweyu; Nchanji, Eileen Bogweh; Waswa, Boaz Shaban; Ooro, Patrick; Muriithi, Catherine; Njiru, Emerita
Inequalities are prevalent in agri-food systems in sub-Saharan Africa due to multifaceted challenges. Unequal decision making power, access to resources, and land ownership contribute to the inequalities. Climate change, which disproportionately negatively affects women, exacerbates existing inequalities in agri-food systems. Existing policy and governance systems have not adequately addressed the inequalities. Socio-technical innovations (STIBs) have the potential to address climate change and challenge sociocultural norms that create inequalities. The CGIAR Gender Equality initiative (HER+: Harnessing Equality for Resilience in the Agrifood System) collaborates with CGIAR Diversification in East and Southern Africa to contribute to climate resilience and women’s empowerment in Kenya through the STIBs approach. Two studies – choice experiment and qualitative monitoring and evaluation – were conducted in three HER+ learning labs in Kenya to assess farmers’ preferences for specific components of socio-technical innovation bundles and measure the impact of HER+ and Diversification in East and Southern Africa initiatives on agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and women's empowerment. Adoption of farmer preferred STIBs – certified seeds, CA/CSA practices, intercropping, extension services, farmer-to -armer extension, and access to financial services – led to high productivity, resilience, and empowerment outcomes.
(How) Can stakeholder cognitive maps inform a project’s Theory of Change? Evidence from IRRI’s STIB Learning Labs in India
(Brief, 2024-12) Goswami, R.; Chadha, D.; Singh, K.; Mukhopadhyay, P.; Puskur, Ranjitha; Gartaula, H.N.
Social media campaigns for gender transformative change
(Report, 2024-12) Achandi, Esther L.; Bullock, Renee; Galiè, Alessandra
Radio talk shows for gender transformative change
(Report, 2024-12) Achandi, Esther L.; Bullock, Renee; Galiè, Alessandra
Community dialogues for gender transformative change
(Report, 2024-12) Achandi, Esther L.; Bullock, Renee; Galiè, Alessandra
Comic magazines for gender transformative change
(Report, 2024-12) Achandi, Esther L.; Bullock, Renee; Galiè, Alessandra
Bundled innovations for women’s empowerment and resilience
(Report, 2024-12) Jain, Harsha; Gartaula, Hom Nath; Shivhare, Riche; Nayak, Prakash Kumar; Chadha, Deepali; Johri, Yash; Mukhopadhyay, Prama; Goel, Kritika; Dullo, Anandita; Puskur, Ranjitha
Climate change is exacerbating uncertainty and risks for farmers and other food systems actors in unprecedented ways. Women and marginalized farmers face higher vulnerabilities as they often encounter additional barriers in the form of constraining social and gender norms. In response, the CGIAR Initiative on Gender Equality (HER+ Harnessing Gender and Social Equality for Resilience in Agrifood Systems) aims to strengthen the climate resilience of vulnerable women in food systems in the Global South. Together with partners, the initiative seeks to support women in increasing their agency, acquiring and gaining control over resources, and facilitating their path toward empowerment. This will help them adapt to climate change and be resilient to shocks and stresses through higher adaptive capacity. Additionally, the initiative aims to position women as partners and drivers of climate change solutions. There are four identified dimensions (addressed by four work packages) to achieve the intended goals of the HER+ Initiative. The focus here is on Work Package 2 (WP2), titled EMPOWER, which aims to develop and test context-specific bundles of social and technical innovations (STIBs). The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is the lead implementation organization for WP2 in India. IRRI, in collaboration with various partner organizations, has set up Learning Labs in North 24 and South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal, and Nuapada district of Odisha. The focus of this presentation will be on the Learning Labs set up in West Bengal.
Empowering Women in Fisheries: A Gender-Transformative Journey in Muleba District of Kagera Region in Tanzania
(Report, 2024-12-31) Kakwasha, Keagan; Mudege, Netsayi; Kilanga, Lucyphine; Chileya, Agness
This outcome story is based on work implemented in Muleba District by WorldFish, the Tanzania Women Fish Workers Association (TAWFA), which is the Tanzanian chapter of the African Women Fish Processors and Traders Network (AWFISHNet), and the Environmental Management and Economic Development Organization (EMEDO). In Muleba, traditional gender norms have long restricted women’s access to resources, as well as their decision-making power and mobility, particularly within fish value chains. These challenges are further exacerbated by the growing impacts of climate change, which disproportionately affect women’s livelihoods in fisheries. HER+ addresses these barriers through a gender-transformative approach. This outcome story highlights how the Initiative builds on work previously done by EMEDO, has increased women’s participation in the fisheries value chain, and has fostered a significant shift in societal attitudes, resulting in enhanced resilience to climate change. Preliminary field observations reveal that women in the dagaa value chain have successfully challenged traditional gender norms, enabling them to take control of their businesses and livelihoods. Before the intervention, women faced challenges to accessing fish because of poor access arrangements, limited capital, threats to their physical safety at night, potential theft of their money, risks to their marriage, etc. These challenges excluded women from fully participating in the fish value chain, and limited access to quality fish reduced the profit margins women earned from selling dagaa.
Gender transformative approaches: Transforming gender norms to build women’s resilience to the economic impacts of Climate Change in Tanzania’s Fisheries Communities in Muleba
(Internal Document, 2024-12-31) Mudege, Netsayi; Kakwasha, Keagan
This intervention description template provides space to document what CGIAR Centers are doing with partners to design and pilot gender transformative interventions in agrifood systems. It contains space to provide details of each gender transformative intervention, including the development challenge(s) that the intervention (and supporting technical interventions) seeks to address, the focus of the intervention, the institutional levels targeted (e.g., family, community, market, state), and expected outcomes, among other relevant information. Each intervention should be documented independently.

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