Women and men from maize- and wheat-growing villages in 13 countries consider improved varieties to be among the most valuable agricultural innovations in their communities in recent years.
This was a finding from GENNOVATE, a CIMMYT-led research initiative involving gender researchers from 11 CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs), and drawing on the experience of more than 7,500 rural men and women from 137 communities in 26 countries. The initiative ended in 2018, having delivered a range of research outputs to MAIZE, WHEAT and other CRPs, including a series of peer-reviewed journal articles and a suite of resources for scientists interested in applying gender-aware approaches.
Photo: Women farmers use a mini tiller for direct seeding maize during a field day in Surkhet, Nepal.
GENNOVATE focuses on how gender norms and “agency” – the capacity and space for self-determination – shape who is able to learn about, try out, and benefit from new agricultural technologies and practices.
“Across geographies and diverse agri-food systems, the findings consistently highlight the importance and the urgency of addressing gender equality and social inclusion as part and parcel of agricultural research for development,” said Lone Badstue, CIMMYT Research Theme Leader for Gender and Social Inclusion, and GENNOVATE project leader. “This is of strategic interest for agricultural research for development and a means to catalyze positive change and enhance impact.”
Opportunities include broadening the scope of research to invest in institutional improvements that help women and men to innovate in agriculture and improve their families' wellbeing. “This takes multi-pronged approaches,” said Badstue, “including engaging men and boys as allies for gender equality.”
In 2018, GENNOVATE specialists conducted workshops, communication initiatives, and dissemination events. The initiative was also featured in a special issue of the Journal of Gender, Agriculture and Food Security, profiling it as an empirically and methodologically innovative initiative.
Gender-based approaches cross borders
Photo: Kemeriya Mohamed and her brother Hasan Gurari preparing a load of harvested wheat for transport in Dodola district, Ethiopia.
CIMMYT-led initiatives in Ethiopia are helping gender awareness and gender-sensitive approaches to spread in agricultural research, extension, and policy, based on statements from a cross section of professionals and practitioners in the country.
“By broadening their understanding of social contexts and factors that constrain adoption of improved technologies, researchers can both boost gender equality and reach project goals more quickly,” said Kristie Drucza, CIMMYT gender and social inclusion researcher based in Ethiopia.
The CIMMYT-led Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) project is integrating gender sensitivity into all its activities so that outcomes reach all individuals in target communities.
Agricultural innovation platforms under SIMLESA connect farmer groups with extension workers, researchers, agribusiness, and policymakers, providing improved access to markets, credit, farming innovations, and capacity development for men, women, and young farmers.
Photo: A farmer adjusts a maize shelling machine with the assistance of CSISA agricultural mechanization engineer Subash Adhikari in Kanchanpur, Nepal.
Meanwhile, in South Asia, CIMMYT is working through such projects as the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) to promote inclusive and sustainable farming, reflecting the increased decision-making responsibility of women in farm households.
GENNOVATE received funding from CGIAR Trust Fund Donors, the CRPs, the CGIAR Gender and Agricultural Research Network, the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the governments of Germany and Mexico. The study involved 27 research partner institutions. SIMLESA is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). Partners include the Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB), CGIAR centers and national agricultural research institutes in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda. Other regional and international partners include the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at the University of Queensland, Australia, and the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA). CSISA is implemented jointly by CIMMYT, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Credits:
See CIMMYT Annual Report 2018 for full credits.