CaravanReview of agriculture in the dry areas

Closing gender gaps; delivering support andnew innovations; raising yields and incomes

A new gender strategy for the dry areas Policies to support women farmers Rural women's cooperatives – can they deliver? New extension models – improving the support

delivered to women farmers Capacity strengthening with a gender dimension

ISSUE 30 | 2014

Gender focus:prioritizing the needs

of women farmers

CaravanICARDA

Caravan is published by ICARDA.

P.O. Box 114/5055, Beirut, Lebanon +961-1-813301/813303Email: icarda@cgiar.org www.icarda.org

ICARDA encourages fair use of the articles published in Caravan,provided the source is quoted. Please send us a copy of thearticle or link to web pages where Caravan material is used.

ISBN: 92-9127-479-8© ICARDA 2014

Edited by Jack Durrell

Editorial support andlayout by Scriptoria(www.scriptoria.co.uk)

The opinions expressedare those of the authors,not necessarily those ofICARDA. Maps are usedprimarily to illustrateresearch results, not toshow political oradministrative boundaries.

ISSUE 30 | 2014

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Foreword A commitment towomen farmers – forthe benefit of all

A gender strategy for the dry areas

The pros and consof paid farm workfor women

4

Cooperatives: canthey deliver for ruralwomen?

Contents

10Enhancing the role of women: dairy production in Jordan

Adapting to watershortages in Egypt'sNew Lands: femalefarmers show theway

8

Delivering supportto women farmersin Afghanistan

14

Reaching out toAfrica's femalefarmers: the RuralResource Centermodel

12

Helping women tohelp themselves 16

Capacitystrengthening with agender dimension

18

Photo: IWMI/N. Palmer

CaravanICARDA 1ISSUE 30 | 2014 FOREWORD

According to the United Nation'sFood and Agriculture Organization(FAO), women now make up 43%of the world's agricultural laborforce. In response to thisincreasing 'feminization' ofagricultural production, ICARDAand CGIAR have included genderin all aspects of their researchprograms to ensure thatknowledge generated will have apositive and equitable impact onboth men and women.

This approach reflects not only amoral imperative, but anacknowledgement that genderequality makes economic sensefor sustainable development.Without closing existing 'gendergaps', or enhancing women'saccess to new innovations,agricultural production systemscannot reach their full potential.We also risk jeopardizing thefuture of the next generation.

In this issue of Caravan – acollaborative effort with the CGIARResearch Program on DrylandSystems – we focus on gender-related research being undertakenby ICARDA and national andCGIAR research partners acrossthe world's dry areas, reflecting onexperience and insights fromMorocco to South Asia andbeyond.

Articles cover proven extensionmodels that are successfullydelivering new technologies andinnovations to women farmers;capacity-strengthening initiativesthat are helping biophysicalscientists to incorporate genderinto their research more effectively;insights into the performance ofrural women's cooperatives andhow these organizations can bestrengthened; and success storiesfrom across CGIAR – includinginitiatives to improve dairyproduction in Jordan, raise theproductivity of women livestockproducers in Afghanistan, anddeliver gains to female cactusproducers in Egypt.

This issue also discusses the newgender strategy of CGIARResearch Program on DrylandSystems, an ambitious plan thatsets out the challenges and targetsfor addressing gender issues as acore activity of this ICARDA-ledprogram.

At the heart of these initiatives liesa commitment to gender equityand an inclusive form ofagricultural development designedto deliver maximum impacts – notonly for women, but for ruralcommunities in general.

A commitment towomen farmers –for the benefit of all

Mahmoud SolhDirector General, ICARDA

CaravanICARDA2 ISSUE 30 | 2014A GENDER STRATEGY FOR THE DRY AREAS

WHY IS A GENDER STRATEGYNEEDED?

Agricultural livelihood systemsconsist of many interactionsbetween the natural and socialenvironments. Gender relationshelp to shape, and are shaped by,these interactions. In many drylandcommunities, socio-cultural normsand values disadvantage women.Discrimination against women,whether direct or indirect, is ahuman rights issue in its own right.It also makes agricultural valuechains less productive than theycould be, undermining prosperityand well-being.

In recognition of these realities, theCGIAR Research Program onDryland Systems has developed agender strategy for 2014–2017.The strategy is helping DrylandSystems researchers to strengthenthe systems approach to improvingdryland food security, livelihoods,and resilience.

WHAT IS THE GOAL?

The goal of the strategy is twofold:to promote gender equality(especially regarding socio-economic, legal, and politicalrights) and improve women'saccess to, and control over,resources such as land andincome.

Achieving this goal means: Developing a systems

approach that takes gender differences into account from the start

Building Dryland Systemsresearchers’ understanding of the context-specific factors that underlie gender inequalities across the regions where the initiative works, and identifying ways of addressing them

Helping to design systems interventions that increase women's participation in decision-making and strengthentheir resilience and well-being –

by, for instance, developing technologies to reduce women's drudgery

Ensuring that women get a fairer share of increased production and income, by strengthening their capacity to independently manage income generation, and creating technologies that meet women's needs.

PUTTING THE STRATEGY INTOPRACTICE

For Dryland Systems to achieve itsgender goal, researchers mustunderstand and address genderdifferences in every stage of theirstudies. This is vital, because menand women in dryland communitiesoften have divergent roles,responsibilities, needs, andinterests in relation to agriculturallivelihoods.

Other social factors, such aswealth or ethnicity, cut across

A new gender strategy sets out the challenges and targets for addressing gender issues as acore activity of the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems.

A gender strategy for the dry areas Photo: Dryland Systems

CaravanICARDA 3ISSUE 30 | 2014 A GENDER STRATEGY FOR THE DRY AREAS

The goal of the strategy is twofold: to promotegender equality and improve women's access to,and control over, resources.

these gender differences and alsoneed to be considered. Suchanalysis can be complex, butincluding it as a matter of routinein dryland systems research isneither a distraction nor a luxury.Rather, it is an essential part ofgood-quality research. For instance,Dryland Systems researchers arealready finding that the genderstrategy can help them to producenew, cutting-edge thinking onsystems analysis and modeling.

In practical terms, what techniquescan researchers use to improvetheir understanding of how genderrelations shape dryland systems?A necessary first step is toinvestigate the livelihood needsand interests of individual maleand female household membersduring surveys, rather than simplytreating households ashomogenous units. A household-level survey is likely to result in apartial and distorted picture of thelivelihood system in a community.Interviewing men and womenseparately, on the other hand,enables more accurate and fine-grained assessments, illuminatingsuch issues as access to assetsand gender gaps in crop andlivestock value chains.

Another necessary first step is aninterdisciplinary qualitative systemsanalysis that allows theidentification of different trade-offcalculations for women and menlinked to the adoption of newtechnologies and otherinnovations, regarding issues suchas labor, family nutrition, andincome generation and use.

Along with integrating gender,specific targeted research will beconducted that aims to exploreimportant questions about howgender differences shape drylandsystems, such as: What part do gender wage and

earning gaps play in agriculturalsystems?

What are the differences

between men's and women's approaches to water management?

How can women increase production of traditional crops and gain control of the resulting income?

What legal changes are required to help women to become independent farmers, managers, and entrepreneurs? A Dryland Systems study in Egypt, for instance, suggests that women with land titles have more say in decision-making in households, communities, and local institutions.

Comparative studies will help thetarget regions of Dryland Systemsto learn from each other, buildingknowledge of the cultural,ideological, and institutional factorsthat create and sustain genderequality.

NO OPTION B

The Dryland Systems genderstrategy is ambitious. For manyDryland Systems researchers withexpertise in the biophysical rather

than social aspects of agriculturalsystems, putting it into practice willrequire a profound change ofmindset. Yet, for Dr. KarinReinprecht, the Dryland SystemsGender Program Coordinator,there is no alternative: "Ignoringgender issues in dryland systemsis just not an option any more. Inthe precarious situations that wesee in many dryland areas,communities can only hope tothrive if they empower all theirmembers, irrespective of gender,age, or other social characteristics,to fully contribute to and benefitfrom agricultural systems. Becauseof their very nature, drylandcommunities cannot afford tocontinue with the gender statusquo."

WHAT CHANGES CAN WEEXPECT TO SEE?

The gender strategy covers theperiod 2014–2017. During thattime, Dryland Systems plans tosupport women in its target areasto: Engage in entrepreneurial

activities for high-value commodities

Use agricultural innovations, information, finance, and other resources to increase their incomes

Benefit from markets more easily

Obtain access to agricultural extension and veterinary services.

Successes like these will generatesubstantial gains for drylandcommunities as a whole, as wellas for their female members.

For more information: Dr. Karin Reinprecht, Gender Program Coordinator,CGIAR Research Program on Dryland SystemsK.Reinprecht@cgiar.org

Photo: Dryland Systems

CaravanICARDA4 ISSUE 30 | 2014THE PROS AND CONS OF PAID FARM WORK FOR WOMEN

THE EMERGENCE OF FEMALEAGRICULTURAL LABORGROUPS

Between 1980 and 2010, theproportion of women in Syria'sagricultural workforce increasedfrom 32% to 61%. A similar, thoughless marked, trend has been seenacross the Middle East and NorthAfrica generally. Traditionally,women in rural Syria worked asunpaid labor on family farms.Agricultural mechanization and theexpansion of construction andindustry in the region have causedlarge numbers of men to leave theagricultural sector, yet manyfarmers still rely on waged laborfor tasks such as weeding andharvesting.

In Tajikistan and Central Asia, thisshift is the result of high levels ofmale outmigration – a response tounemployment and the generallylow remuneration from agriculturein the post-Soviet transition era.Women have filled the void left bymigrating men. Informal groups offemale laborers, many of themmanaged by female contractors,have come forward to meet thedemand in both countries.

In northwest Syria, ICARDAresearchers compared femaleworkers' wages and conditionswith men's, and assessed theextent to which paid farm work hashelped women to become moreempowered in their day-to-daylives. In Sughd Province,

Tajikistan, IWMI researchersanalyzed the types andcharacteristics of female laborers'roles in agriculture, their earnings,and the potential for meetinghousehold needs.

A COMPLEX PICTURE OFBENEFITS AND THREATS

ICARDA researchers found thatmost workers in northwest Syrianlabor groups were women, eventhough female seclusion is acultural ideal in this society. Theirwages were lower than men's, andeven if wives earned more thantheir husbands, men were stillregarded as the mainbreadwinners. Generally, womenworkers were confined to unskilled

In many parts of the Global South, recent years have seen unprecedented numbers of womentaking up paid farm work. Scientists from ICARDA and the International Water ManagementInstitute (IWMI), through the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems, recently conductedstudies in pre-conflict Syria and Tajikistan, respectively, probing the realities of this so-calledfeminization of agriculture. In particular, they investigated the emergence of female labor groupsin both countries. Their studies contain recommendations on how government policies couldmore effectively help these women.

The pros and cons of paid farmwork for women

CaravanICARDA 5ISSUE 30 | 2014THE PROS AND CONS OF PAID FARM

WORK FOR WOMEN

Female labor groups harvesting vegetables inTajikistan.

tasks, they remained responsiblefor childcare and domestic work,and they faced health and safetyrisks – for instance, due to a lackof protective clothing. However,women told researchers they hada stronger sense of self-worth thanbefore, because their earningsgave them some say over familyexpenditure. One big advantage ofworking in groups is that it enableswomen, who used to have fewsocial interactions outside theirown families, the chance to talk toone another. This gives themunprecedented access toinformation, and a new form of'social capital' that could help themto negotiate better wages andconditions.

In Tajikistan, researchers foundthat women's workingarrangements, payments, andbenefits take several differentforms. The most secure type ofpaid farm work is found oncollective farms; such work bringslong-term benefits in the shape ofland and modest pensions. Yetwomen working on collective farmsdo not earn enough to cover theirhouseholds' basic needs.

The least secure forms of casuallabor, on private farms, provide thehighest cash earnings. Owing totheir substantial income, womenundertaking this kind of work arerecognized as importantcontributors to their households.Women also value the flexibility ofcasual work on private farms, as itenables them to continue lookingafter their families. Some femalelabor groups are paid entirely inkind, while others receive acombination of cash and in-kindpayments. Payments in kindusually consist of the stems leftover after cotton is harvested; theyare taken home and used forheating and cooking. Although tooutsiders this might seem anunsatisfactory pay bargain, it isacceptable to the womenconcerned, because the cotton

stems alleviate household fuelpoverty.

WHAT CAN GOVERNMENTS DOTO HELP?

The development of female laborgroups has enabled women tocontribute to their families' incomeand has brought modest gains interms of women's empowerment.However, women in the agriculturalsector receive low wages, theirworking conditions are often poor,and their employment is insecure.To some extent there is a trade-offbetween the flexible nature of suchwork, which suits women's needs,and generally poor terms andconditions.

IWMI and ICARDA areencouraging governments to cometo terms with the new trend offemale labor groups and considertheir interests during theformulation of agricultural andsocial protection policies andrelated projects. In Central Asia,IWMI regularly runs awareness-raising activities and networks withgovernment agencies, donors, andother partners. In Syria, ICARDAhas raised the issue with theNational Agricultural Policy Center,and shared its research findingswith the relevant ministry andagencies.

Researchers point out that thegovernments should very carefullyconsider the consequences ofembarking on new mechanizationdrives, as they could deprivewomen of precious earnings.Similarly, well-meaning attempts tostrengthen health and safety

regulations might have theunintended effect of restrictingcasual work opportunities forwomen. More positively, supportingwomen to organize themselves inlabor cooperatives would bringmany benefits, including moresecure livelihoods, better workers'rights, and improved access toassets and information.

For more information: Dr. Malika Martini, Regional Gender Officer, FAOMalika.Martini@fao.org

Dr. Nozilakhon Mukhamedova,Gender Specialist, IWMIN.Mukhamedova@cgiar.org

WHAT CAN GOVERNMENTS AND AUTHORITIES DO? Recognize and improve their understanding of female labor groups Take women's specific needs for flexibility into account in

agricultural and related policies, such as those on health, pensions, and safety

Encourage and support women to organize themselves in labor cooperatives.

CaravanICARDA6 ISSUE 30 | 2014COOPERATIVES: CAN THEY DELIVER FOR RURAL WOMEN?

Marginalized and disempowered,many women farmers across thedry areas of the developing worldcontinue to lack market accessand direct involvement in thecommercial sphere, limiting theiropportunities for incomegeneration. Rural Women'sCooperatives (RWCs) areincreasingly being promoted as avehicle through which women canchallenge this inequity: providingthem with a stronger voice;facilitating their access to inputs,training, and markets; andincreasing their independence.

Unfortunately, institutionalweaknesses mean that many ofthese organizations fail to deliveron their promise of empowerment.Many face capacity constraintsand have poorly definedgovernance structures; they oftenreceive inadequate support fromexternal agencies, and it may behard to insulate RWCs frompervading social and culturalnorms that place limits on femaleindependence.

RWCS IN MOROCCO

Cooperatives are being promotedunder Morocco's 'Green Plan', an

ambitious initiative that seeks ashift away from protectionistpolicies to a more market-orientedagricultural sector. The plan valuescooperatives as a means ofchallenging the poverty andunderemployment that pervade thecountry's marginal areas.

Although the plan does notexplicitly mention gender, astrategy focused on RWCdevelopment is being pushed bydonor agencies. Interestingly, thisshift coincides with the emergenceof a women's rights movement thathas successfully campaigned forraising the minimum age formarriage to 18 and allowingwomen to divorce with mutualconsent. As a consequence,gender has become a priority issuefor many development practitionersoperating within the kingdom.

CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS

Although the emphasis on RWCsis encouraging, ICARDA'sexperience suggests that theability of these organizations tochallenge gender inequity remainsan open question. An analysis offour value chains in Morocco(argan, rose, cactus, and saffron)

demonstrated that while suchcooperatives had undoubtedlydelivered gains to women – higherincomes, independence, and self-esteem – these gains were limited.

For instance, many women wereearning cash for the first time anddirecting this new source of incometowards food security, health, andeducation for their families – but inamounts that rarely exceeded thelegislated minimum wage.

This shortcoming often resultedfrom a misguided perception ofRWCs as a form of social welfare,not economic institutions with thepotential to assist communities andhelp them achieve self-sustainingsources of income based onproduction, processing, andmarketing.

Donor agencies were criticized forpromoting an institutional modelthat delivered outputs as a time-bound project, rather than a long-term collective initiative, andperformance was often held backby weak organizational design andgovernance structures.

"Our analysis suggested that theunderpinnings of cooperative

Rural Women's Cooperatives are increasingly being promoted as an institutional pathwaytowards empowerment and financial autonomy – despite these organizations facingconsiderable constraints. ICARDA's experience in Morocco is helping to identify the challengesand strategies needed to strengthen these institutions, so they can deliver on their promise ofempowerment.

Cooperatives: can they deliver forrural women?

CaravanICARDA 7ISSUE 30 | 2014COOPERATIVES: CAN THEY DELIVER FOR

RURAL WOMEN?

formation – their objectives,governance structures, andcontextual understanding –requires serious and urgentreview," argues Dr. ShinanKassam, a Socio-economist atICARDA, who has been studyinghigh-value commodity chains inthe Souss-Masaa-Draa region ofsouthwestern Morocco.

Furthermore, support provided byextension services was oftenineffective. In Morocco, althoughsubsidies were provided forprocessing equipment and theconstruction of buildings, therewas an inadequate focus onbusiness and management advice.A failure to help RWCs conductthorough market assessments alsoresulted in negative outcomes,disillusionment, and membershipattrition.

PERVADING SOCIAL ANDCULTURAL NORMS

Aside from institutionalweaknesses, it remains difficult toinsulate cooperative membersfrom pervading societal andcultural norms, which continue torestrict female independence.

Often, women are excluded fromdirectly selling produce in themarketplace. For instance, themarketing of home-processedargan oil has traditionally beenundertaken by men, who retain the

income from its sale and disbursethis to other household members,thereby reducing women'sdecision-making power. Despitehigher incomes for women, theobservance of a significant numberof RWCs being managed by malessuggests that societal and culturalnorms related to marketing stillpersist.

ICARDA's research has alsohighlighted the need to understandand address trade-offs: womenworking long hours outside thehome may be empowered, but thisadditional commitment could comeat a cost. "For younger cooperativemembers, working within acooperative could mean less timedevoted to mothering newbornsand pre-school children, therebypassing on child-mindingresponsibilities to adolescentoffspring, who may themselves bedisempowered as a result," saysKassam.

IMPROVING PERFORMANCE

Despite these constraints, sensibleinterventions can help RWCsreach their potential. Theireffectiveness, for instance, is likelyto depend on the personnel thatcooperatives attract. Efforts aretherefore needed to identify andencourage good leaders,prioritizing women who combinehigh self-esteem and solidbusiness acumen.

"Identifying and encouragingpositive leadership is key, and cansustain RWCs over the long-term,"says Kassam. "But only if thisleadership translates into animproved ability for members toexpand the range of choices forprofitable social and economicengagement through participatorydecision-making." While there arepositive signs, there is still a needto introduce democraticgovernance mechanisms intoexisting RWCs.

Efforts are also needed to addressthe poor support currently beingprovided by some local, national,and external agencies – financialand otherwise. In addition to morethorough market assessments andthe identification of potentialincome-generating opportunities inlocal, national, and internationalmarkets, RWCs need to be given amore prominent place in ruraldevelopment plans.

For more information: Dr. Shinan Kassam, Socio-economist, ICARDAS.Kassam@cgiar.org

STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY OF RWCS Shift mindsets: from viewing RWCs as a form of social welfare to

a recognition of their potential as self-sustaining sources of income based on production, processing, and marketing

Improve support provided by extension services: with more emphasis on business and management advice, and morethorough market assessments

Identify and encourage effective leaders: prioritizing women whocombine self-esteem and solid business acumen

Give RWCs a prominent place in rural development plans Understand and address the trade-offs associated with women's

contributions to cooperatives.

The processing of argan is a key contributor tohousehold income in the Souss-Masaa-Draaregion of southwestern Morocco.

CaravanICARDA8 ISSUE 30 | 2014ADAPTING TO WATER SHORTAGES IN EGYPT'SNEW LANDS: FEMALE FARMERS SHOW THE WAY

Owing to climate change andpopulation growth in the Nilebasin, Egypt is set to face severeshortages of irrigation and drinkingwater in coming years – it ispredicted that by 2050, Egypt willneed to use around 50% of theNile's water for drinking alone. Atthe same time, up to 15% ofagricultural land in the fertile Niledelta could be inundated as sealevels rise.

Since the 1980s, the Egyptiangovernment has been resettlingfarmers in desert regions – the so-called 'New Lands' – in responseto land and water shortages, andas a strategy for boosting foodproduction. Each settler isprovided with a plot of land, a

shared irrigation pump, and ahouse. ICARDA researchers havebeen investigating how femalesettlers have adapted to farming inthese arid conditions.

PRICKLY PEAR: ANADAPTATION TO A THORNYPROBLEM

Female farmers in some NewLands settlements grow pricklypear, Opuntia ficus indica f.inermis, to supply the tourist sectorin Cairo and Alexandria. This ispartly a response to theirmarginalization from supportprograms, such as agriculturalextension activities, which promotemore conventional cash cropssuch as wheat.

In fact, prickly pear suits desertconditions better than otherproduce grown in Egypt, such asfruit trees. The cactus thrives onvery little water and does notrequire frequent labor inputs.Because of these characteristics, ithas sometimes been dismissed asa 'lazy farmer's' crop. These samefeatures, however, enable womenin the New Lands to combinefarming with bringing up theirchildren and running theirhouseholds, which are oftenlocated some distance from theirfarms. The cash they earn fromselling prickly pear fruits has helpedthem to fund their children'sschooling and provide for theirdaughters' marriages.

In parts of Egypt's arid New Lands, female farmers are choosing to grow prickly pear, a type ofcactus, rather than more conventional crops such as wheat. Prickly pear is better suited todesert conditions than most of the crops promoted in the country. It also generates an income,which helps women to pay for their children's education. Against a backdrop of climate changeand associated water shortages, ICARDA researchers have identified ways that the governmentcan support female farmers in the New Lands and promote the cultivation of prickly pear andother drought-tolerant crops throughout desert settlements.

Adapting to water shortages inEgypt's New Lands: female farmersshow the way

nervous about using diesel pumpsbecause they fear that their clotheswill get caught in the turbines.

IMPROVING SUPPORT TO NEWLANDS FARMERS

ICARDA has identified severalways in which the Egyptiangovernment could support bothmale and female farmers' efforts tofarm successfully in the NewLands against a backdrop ofclimate change and increasingwater stress. Poor farmers needbetter and fairer access toirrigation water. They also needtraining and information toencourage them to grow drought-

CaravanICARDA 9ISSUE 30 | 2014ADAPTING TO WATER SHORTAGES IN EGYPT'S

NEW LANDS: FEMALE FARMERS SHOW THE WAY

Researcher, Dr. Dina Najjar, with cactus, Opuntia ficus indica f. inermis, plantation farmer

BARRIERS TO EXPANDING THEPRODUCTION OF DROUGHT-TOLERANT CROPS

Yet this success story has comeabout despite, rather than becauseof, existing policies and programs.Existing programs focus onpromoting the cultivation of wheat,fruit trees, and animal fodder in theNew Lands, rather than drought-tolerant crops such as prickly pear.A lack of agricultural research onprickly pear has enabled mythsabout its cultivation – such as themistaken idea that it should not beintercropped with beans, alfalfa, orwheat – to flourish, limiting itstake-up as a cash crop. Otherpotential uses of prickly pearinclude fodder for animals andaesthetic products such as oil andcosmetics.

The lack of support for prickly pearcultivation is compounded byinadequate training in desertfarming methods generally,especially for female settlers in themore remote New Landssettlements. Poor access toirrigation water is another problemin the New Lands: better-offfarmers with land nearer the Niletend to take more than their fairshare of its water, while poorfarmers with plots at the end ofirrigation canals have to make dowith what is left.

FEMALE SETTLERS FACESPECIFIC PROBLEMS

While there are a few women onvillage-level water organizationssuch as water councils, theirvoices are seldom listened tobecause of local cultural normsthat discriminate against them. Inthe more remote settlements,many female household-headshave had their electric irrigationpumps and transformers stolen.Others have been issued withdiesel pumps, which are expensiveto run and produce high carbonemissions. Many women are

tolerant crops. The problemsspecifically facing female farmersneed to be addressed, forinstance, by improving security inremote settlements and ensuringthat their voices are heard onwater councils. By successfullygrowing prickly pear as a cashcrop, female farmers have shown away to adapt to climate change.Now they need the support to backthem.

For more information: Dr. Dina Najjar, Social and GenderScientist, ICARDAD.Najjar@cgiar.org

WHAT CAN AGRICULTURAL AUTHORITIES DO TO HELPFARMERS IN EGYPT'S NEW LANDS?They could support poor farmers, both male and female, to adapt toclimate change by: Delivering information and training on drought-tolerant crops Guaranteeing fairer access to irrigation water.

In addition, the government could support female farmers by: Improving security in remote desert settlements to reduce theft Ensuring that women have a strong voice on water councils and

other irrigation bodies Providing equipment suited to women's specific needs, such as

electric irrigation pumps.

CaravanICARDA10 ISSUE 30 | 2014ENHANCING THE ROLE OF WOMEN: DAIRYPRODUCTION IN JORDAN

Livestock are a mainstay ofJordan's rural communities,particularly in Karak, which isfamed nationwide for its cheese,yoghurt, and jameed – a 'rock-cheese' that forms the basis of thecountry's national dish, mansaf. Inthis region, some 330,000 sheepproduce approximately 8,500tonnes of milk, which is processedover a four-month period duringthe spring and early summer.Although dairy processing remainsa key contributor to householdincome, it falls well short of itspotential.

Processing units are often poorlyequipped and human capacity islow, reflected in the generallyinferior nature of many products –despite the area's reputation.There are also issues related tohygiene – production occurs insub-optimal conditions wheremold, yeast, and harmful bacteriacan grow, spread, and ultimatelyundermine quality.

There are also serious healthimplications for the mostly femaleworkforce who routinely come intocontact with raw milk. Typhus andBrucellosis – highly contagiousbacterial diseases caused by theingestion of unpasteurized milk –are present in many sheep flocksand, if contracted, can causeabortions. The lack of hygiene atall stages of productionexacerbates the threat.

ADDRESSING THE SITUATIONOF WOMEN

In response to the challengesfacing dairy producers, ICARDAhas been working in Karak todevelop and pilot-test technologicaland institutional options forimproving the small-scaleprocessing and marketing of dairyproducts from sheep and goats,working alongside women'scooperatives and small-scaleprivate processing units. So far, 15processing units have adopted

cost-effective packages for milkprocessing.

Initial baseline studies with femaleproducers helped identifyconstraints and challenges: weakgovernment extension servicesand limited credit availabilityreduce access to moderntechnological inputs; the work isoften hard, difficult, and timeconsuming; and formal marketsystems do not exist.

"The work is tiring, physicallydemanding, and time consuming,"complains Kafaa Kleesha, aproducer from the village of Ader. "Ioften have to work through thenight, and at weekends andholidays during the season." Whiletechnological improvements andthe fine-tuning of productiontechniques would help ease thephysical demands of dairyprocessing and reduce the longhours that Kafaa and her fellowproducers are forced to work,

Women are at the center of Jordan's dairy processing sector. Forming the majority of thesector's workforce, they are key contributors to household incomes and rural economies.Ongoing efforts to improve the productivity, hygiene, and profitability of dairy productionprovide an opportunity to fundamentally improve the livelihoods of women in Jordan's 'Badia'.

Enhancing the role of women: dairyproduction in Jordan

quality dairy products, and higherprofits, helping to ease the region'shigh unemployment and poverty. Ina typical village where around16,000 sheep are kept for lamband milk production, scientistsestimate that ICARDA technologypackages have the potential toproduce 48,000 kg of jameed and30,000 kg of ghee each year,generating over US$1 million.

Adoption could also mean strongerresilience in an area alreadysuffering the effects of climatechange. Temperatures are risingand rainfall rarely exceeds 300 mmeach year – and in some locationsit can be as little as 110 mm.

A WIN-WIN SITUATION FORWOMEN

Women, forming the vast majorityof the sector's workforce, havemuch to gain from theimprovements and technologiesbeing promoted by ICARDA. They

CaravanICARDA 11ISSUE 30 | 2014ENHANCING THE ROLE OF WOMEN: DAIRY

PRODUCTION IN JORDAN

ICARDA's Dr. Muhi El-Dine Hilali instructs women on proven dairy processing techniques.

support has not always beenavailable.

IMPROVING CAPACITY

Jordan's dairy processing unitshave another problem: limitedcapacity, which restricts the amountof milk each unit can process. Thismeans that dairy farmers areforced to incur significant transportcosts to sell their milk elsewhere; italso reduces the profitability ofprocessing units – restrictingincomes and reducing employmentopportunities for local women.

In response, ICARDA isencouraging producers to diversifytheir strategies, thereby increasingtheir product range; fine-tuningproduction techniques to savecosts, increase the shelf-life ofdairy products, and improve quality;and ensuring that introducedtechnologies are appropriate andattractive to the target populationby incorporating their tastes andpreferences.

The introduction of fat separators,for instance, has reduced jameedrancidity and generated extra fatthat can be used to make ghee,helping to diversify production. Acost-effective ‘Lactoscan’ allowsprocessing units to analyze the milkit receives for physical andchemical composition, creating amore transparent relationshipbetween processors and farmers,and helping to progressivelyeliminate the provision of fraudulentmilk.

Quality is further enhanced throughthermal treatment. Thermometersare provided so processors cancheck when the milk exceeds 80°C – the temperature needed toreduce the possibility ofcontamination and aidconcentration – thereby improvingthe quality of jameed.

The results of these interventions:lower production costs, better

can expect higher incomes,reduced working hours, and lessphysically demanding work – awin-win situation for local women,according to Dr. Muhi El-DineHilali, a Dairy Technologist atICARDA: "Women are at thecenter of the dairy processingsector in this region – andthroughout Jordan. So ourattempts to improve the productionof dairy products are directlyimpacting on the livelihoods ofwomen. And we are seeing notonly economic benefits – but socialbenefits too. We can see the socialstanding of women improvebecause of the additionalcontributions they are making tohousehold income."

For more information: Dr. Muhi El-Dine Hilali, Dairy Technologist, ICARDAM.Hilali@cgiar.org

A WIN-WIN STRATEGY TO IMPROVE DAIRY PRODUCTIONGuaranteeing improved quality, lower production costs, and higherincomes: Promoting diversification – increasing the range of products

for higher incomes and stronger resilience Technological innovations – such as fat separators to reduce

workloads and rancidity, and 'milkoscans' to eliminate fraudulent milk

Thermal treatment – improving quality and reducing the possibility of contamination

Raising the capacity of processing units – for higher incomes and more employment opportunities for women.

CaravanICARDA12 ISSUE 30 | 2014REACHING OUT TO AFRICA'S FEMALE FARMERS:THE RURAL RESOURCE CENTER MODEL

If you visit the small town of Beloin northwest Cameroon, you maycome across a group of gailypainted buildings set in a neat,attractive compound. This is one ofsix Rural Resource Centers(RRCs) that the World AgroforestryCentre (ICRAF) has pioneeredacross the country; there areothers in Burkina Faso and Mali.RRCs are training anddemonstration hubs managed bygrassroots organizations. Theycreate opportunities for farmers,including women, to share theirfarming experiences and to receivetechnical guidance and servicestailored to their livelihood needs. InRRCs, ICRAF has developed atried-and-tested approach thatcould revitalize agriculturalextension services in Africa andensure that female farmers, inparticular, get the support theyneed to make their farming moreproductive.

A FRESH APPROACH

It is well known that women domuch of the farming work in ruralAfrica, but even so they tend to beexcluded from governmentservices that provide training andinformation on new varieties ofcrops and innovative farmingtechniques. Agricultural extensionservices in Africa are usuallywoefully under-resourced andoften fail to address the harshrealities of poor farmers. Also,female farmers tend to beexcluded from these services –according to the Food andAgriculture Organization of theUnited Nations, women benefitfrom only 5% of agriculturalextension activities. One reasonfor this is that few women work inagricultural advisory services. Forinstance, in Mali, an estimated38% of farmers are female, butonly 7% of field staff working for

Mali's Agricultural Extension andAdvisory Services are women, andall the senior staff and specialistsare men.

Using RRCs is a fresh approachthat demonstrates improvedsupport to poor farmers, includingwomen. Broadly speaking, theemphasis is on consulting farmersabout what they need, then givingthem access to the knowledge,information, and inputs they requireto improve their productivity. RRCshave been especially successful inpromoting agroforestry, a systemwhere farmers grow trees orshrubs in addition to producingconventional crops and rearinglivestock.

A typical RRC has a tree nursery,demonstration plots, a training hall,a small library, and offices. All ofthese are built to a high localstandard, clean, and well-

An innovative participatory extension model being applied across countries in sub-SaharanAfrica is proving to be an effective way of reaching out to women farmers, ensuring they receivethe support and technologies they need to raise agricultural production.

Reaching out to Africa's female farmers: theRural Resource Center model

Photo: A. Arinloye, A. Degrande, P. C. Lingani, A. Tapsoba

Dr. Djalal Arinloye and Dr. AnnDegrande, ICRAF's Scientists inthe West and Central AfricaRegion, are particularly proud ofthe way RRCs have listened towomen and responded to theirneeds, rather than imposing theirown priorities. An example of aninitiative in Cassou, Burkina Fasois as follows: "The women inCassou asked the RRC to helpthem to produce vegetables intheir homestead gardens. Wellshave been dug so that there isnow enough water. Women areusing the vegetables for homeconsumption and to sell in localmarkets. The upshot is betternutrition – especially for children,young people, and pregnantwomen – as well as higherincome."

CaravanICARDA 13ISSUE 30 | 2014REACHING OUT TO AFRICA'S FEMALE FARMERS:

THE RURAL RESOURCE CENTER MODEL

Women processing Néré (Parkia biglobosa) in Cassou, Burkina-Faso

maintained. There may also beaccommodation, catering facilities,and an agricultural processing unit.For instance, at the Associationpour la Promotion des Actions deDéveloppement EndogènesRurales Bangangte (APADER), anRRC in west Cameroon, bananasand shea butter are processed intosaleable products. APADER hasalso set up producer groups so thatfarmers can sell produce such askola nuts collectively, thus obtainingbetter prices and reducing theirsales costs.

REACHING OUT TO FEMALEFARMERS

RRCs have a good track record ofreaching out to female farmers. Forinstance, women are runningexperimental plots for RRCs, whichinspires other women to try thenew methods being demonstrated.This is much more effective thanthe traditional agricultural extensionmodel of bringing in outsiders,usually men, to provide advice.

"Some trees, such as bush mango,take years to start fruiting. In theNyaneck RRC, we have been taughtgrafting and marcotting techniquesthat bring earlier fruiting. So weare earning more income to pay forour children's school needs andbuy household essentials."Ajeh Celine, Cameroon.

Elsewhere in Burkina Faso and inMali, RRCs have helped femalefarmers to set up associations forthe production and marketing ofshea butter. They have alsosupported the creation of farmers'networks, with the aim of helpingmore women to sell shea butter onthe international market. Thisrequires farmers to upgrade theirprocessing practices so that theirshea butter meets the exactingstandards of the global cosmeticsindustry.

REVITALIZING AGRICULTURALEXTENSION SERVICES: THERRC WAY

Based on ICRAF's valuableexperience in West and CentralAfrica, staff and partners haveidentified strategies for re-invigorating agricultural extensionservices across Africa andensuring that both male andfemale farmers get the supportthey really need.

For more information: Dr. Djalal Ademonla Arinloye,Marketing Scientist, ICRAFA.Arinloye@cgiar.org

STRATEGIES FOR RE-INVIGORATING AGRICULTURALEXTENSION SERVICES Integrate the RRC approach into national farmer extension

programs Encourage partnerships between RRCs and government

programs, NGOs, and local authorities Train existing female extension officers and recruit new ones from

governmental organizations, NGOs, and the private sector Use community-based approaches to bring rural advisory services

closer to male and female farmers Ensure that extension activities address the interests of both

female and male farmers.

Photo: A. Arinloye, A. Degrande, C. Dembele

CaravanICARDA14 ISSUE 30 | 2014DELIVERING SUPPORT TO WOMEN FARMERS IN AFGHANISTAN

The past couple of decades of warand instability in Afghanistan havedevastated its once-thrivingagriculture sector. One fallout hasbeen the hardship faced byAfghani women. As men continueto leave home – first to go to warand more recently to seekemployment in Kabul andelsewhere – women have been leftbehind to take care of thehousehold and land.

As a result, women have playedan increasing role in Afghanistan'sagricultural sector, and are key tothe country's ongoing developmentand reconstruction. But in such atraditional society, where extremelytight limits are placed on women'smobility and freedom, developmentagencies have struggled to deliversupport to Afghanistan's growingnumber of female farmers.

"The biggest challenge of workingwith women in traditional societiesis how to contact women andencourage them to participate inactivities," says YashpalSaharawat, ICARDA's AfghanistanCountry Manager. "Afghanistan isno exception, where pervadingcultural and social norms oftenprevent women from participatingin training and workshops, limitingtheir productivity and potential."

PRACTICAL OUTREACH

Despite the many obstacles,ICARDA's Afghanistan officeestimates that it has reached over10,000 women in recent years.How has the center achieved this,delivering support in remote andconservative parts of the countrywhere resistance can be so high?

Acknowledging realities on theground, ICARDA staff adopt apractical approach that involvesgoing through male communityleaders, discussing an initiativeand then explaining how it cangenerate benefits, for not onlywomen but the whole community.Once convinced, leaders are thenencouraged to identify more open-minded farmers who would bewilling to involve their wives anddaughters in training andworkshops.

"Often, the only way to reachwomen is through male communityheads. It's really not possible toreach women directly and thiswould not be appreciated inAfghani society, particularly inremote areas," argues Saharawat.When resistance is encountered,persuasion is used – ICARDA staff

In a traditional society like Afghanistan where pervading social and cultural norms placerestrictions on the independence of women, providing support to female farmers is neverstraightforward and resistance can often be significant. Against the odds, ICARDA has adoptedan effective outreach model, successfully including women in its capacity-strengtheninginitiatives. The result: empowerment, higher productivity, and additional household income.

Delivering support to women farmers in Afghanistan

The project combined researchand development activities for ruralwomen, providing them withtechnologies to improve goat andforage production. A major focuswas building their capacity onanimal health and value addition tomilk and dairy products. Specialcooperatives were developed toprovide eco-friendly infrastructure,while the Ministry of Agriculturesupported the value chain byopening a counter within theministry where women could comeand sell their products.

For fodder crop improvement, theproject trained graduate women onproducing quality seeds.Establishing women-based villageseed enterprise allows villagewomen to market improved seed;while women-based fodder banksensure the availability of fodderduring long, harsh winters when ascarcity develops and sometimesanimals can die of starvation.

Saharawat summarizes theimpacts in a nutshell: "It's thegained economic stability. If wewere to ask our womenbeneficiaries what change are theymost happy about, they wouldprobably all say they now havemoney in their hands to spend and

CaravanICARDA 15ISSUE 30 | 2014DELIVERING SUPPORT TO WOMEN FARMERS

IN AFGHANISTAN

Adopting a practical approach that acknowledges pervading social realities, ICARDA has successfullyincluded rural women in capacity-strengthening initiatives.

members explain that women arealready active in the field, so whynot support efforts to increase theirproductivity and help themcontribute more significantly tohousehold income?

The use of female facilitators is anadditional factor in ICARDA'ssuccess. Identified for theirleadership skills and confidencewithin rural women's associations,these women can communicatedirectly with female farmers, leadworkshops and training initiatives,and provide role models.

In the case of Frozan Darwish,leadership skills are complementedby persistence. A gender expert atICARDA, she takes a frontline roleto support efforts to reach ruralwomen, travelling to remote ruralcommunities where she is oftenconfronted by the myriad,seemingly intractable problems thatAfghani women routinely face.Challenging these problems, sheargues, requires "patience,resilience, and a commitment tostand up and change the situation."

Trust has also been important: overthe past 13 years, the center hasbuilt a solid reputation inAfghanistan, working alongsidefarmers to raise their productionand help rural communities rebuildafter decades of conflict. Thisexperience has provided legitimacy,generated confidence in ICARDA'smission, and made communitiesmore receptive to the center'spleas for women's inclusion.

A TOUGH ROAD – BUT BIGRETURNS

Efforts to include women incapacity-strengthening initiativesare beginning to pay off – not leastin the Dairy Goat Managementproject, a flagship initiative ofICARDA to improve the livelihoodsof women, which will shortly becoming to an end after a six-yearjourney.

are able to educate and provide fortheir children."

A MODEL FOR OTHERS TOFOLLOW

Aware of these successes, otherdevelopment organizations arestudying ICARDA's outreachstrategy closely, recognizing itsability to make inroads intotraditional communities andconvince community leaders thatwomen's involvement in capacitystrengthening is a worthy cause.

Action Aid, the Aga KhanFoundation, and Care are allseeking ICARDA's help. Targetedtraining in the areas of watershedmanagement and cropimprovement is now beingdelivered to the staff of theseorganizations and could have far-reaching implications – helping tostrengthen and broaden thestruggle to improve the livelihoodsof Afghanistan's women farmers.

For more information: Yashpal Singh Saharawat,ICARDA Country Manager,Afghanistan Y.Saharawat@cgiar.org

CaravanICARDA16 ISSUE 30 | 2014HELPING WOMEN TO HELP THEMSELVES

Located in the extreme northwestof India, the state of Rajasthan is ahot, arid region with scant rainfall.Limited opportunities mean thatmen are often forced to migrate tourban areas in search of work,leaving women and childrenbehind, struggling to survive in aharsh environment characterizedby a lack of water and the constantthreat of droughts.

In addition, women experience thesocial costs associated witheconomic hardship due to familyseparation, and because of theiradditional work burden, childrenare often left on their ownunsupervised by adults.

According to Rameshwari Devi, alocal woman, survival is a complexand continuous challenge in thistough situation – particularly when

it fails to rain. "I have five goatsand seven heads of cattle. If itrains then there will be fodder forthe animals – otherwise theanimals will die." Forced to buyexpensive fodder during dry spells,she has little left to spend on otherhousehold needs.

The difficulties faced byRameshwari and women like herare compounded by genderinequity and a position ofmarginality, which limits women'scapacity to make decisions andchange their reality.

EMPOWERING WOMEN

Reversing this marginal status isthe aim of a new initiativeimplemented by the InternationalCrops Research Institute for theSemi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT),

through the CGIAR ResearchProgram on Dryland Systems.

Focusing on water conservationand the regeneration of degradedcommon pasture lands, effortswere made from the initiative'soutset to include women:conducting household surveysdisaggregated by gender andinvolving female farmers in groupdiscussions to understand existingconstraints and opportunities.

Disempowerment was furtherchallenged through the placementof women on village developmentcouncils. Against the odds, anddespite initial resistance, womenare now directly contributing to thedevelopment of their communitiesthrough these bodies.

Women are taking a lead role in efforts to improve the management of degraded communalpastures in Rajasthan, India. Encouraged to sit on village development councils alongside men,they are challenging gender inequity and making their voices heard in this conservative region.The result: a tighter focus on the needs of female producers, higher productivity, and economicempowerment.

Helping women to help themselves

Photo: ICRISAT/P. Panjiar

horticultural gardens. In addition,there has been a noticeable shift inthe attitudes of women – fromreluctant listeners to activedevelopment partners.

PROVEN APPROACHES TOWATER CONSERVATION ANDREGENERATION

The approach is a departure fromsuccessive past failures to bringchanges in target communities –the result of a limited analysis ofbiophysical factors and a poorunderstanding of prevalent socio-ecological systems, particularlyaround common property rights.

The path taken by ICRISATinstead prioritized socio-economics, rules governing theuse of common resources, andpatterns of interaction amongvarious actors. Women were aprimary focus, and their needs andviews were fully taken into accountwhen different technological and

CaravanICARDA 17ISSUE 30 | 2014 HELPING WOMEN TO HELP THEMSELVES

Indian woman demonstrates a rainwater-harvesting structure erected in her local village.

A STRATEGIC APPROACH

Dryland Systems researchersadopted a strategic and practicalapproach, using female facilitatorswho could navigate pervadingsocial and cultural norms, and by-pass restrictions that preventedmale contact with local women.They also identified individualswithin the community whosupported their plans and couldhelp influence other people whomay have been initially hesitant.

"We did not expect miraclesovernight," explains ICRISATresearcher, Dr. Shalander Kumar."We gave ourselves at least sixmonths to build rapport with thedifferent communities, holdingmultiple meetings, explaining whatwe wanted to achieve and theimportance of including women inthe important decisions facing theircommunities."

This steady approach eventuallypaid off: 16 women were elected tothe development committees ofeight communities. This was apositive development in a regionwhere such involvement waspreviously non-existent.

Women were also encouraged toinitiate their own start-up groups.These bodies were established inthree villages, each focused on aspecific value chain: pastoralsystems, small ruminants, andhorticulture. Informal in nature, withinternal democratic governingstructures, these groups areenhancing the marketing ofagricultural products and providingfunds to improve women's accessto technologies and other inputs.

Outcomes have been extremelyencouraging so far: a 10–15%increase in income generated bythe sale of goat; greater interest inthe management of previouslyneglected common pastures and aresulting increase in ediblebiomass; and the establishment of

institutional options for naturalresource management were shared with participatingcommunities.

With women's involvement in village development committeesguaranteed, researchers hope thatthis gender focus will become adefining feature of Dryland Systems' contributions to regionaldevelopment for moving forward. "Our aim from the beginning was to ensure that women are involved in the decisions that will ultimatelyimpact their livelihoods. Theircontinued involvement indevelopment committees bodes well for the future," says Dr. Kumar.

For more information: Dr. Shalander Kumar,Scientist, ICRISATK.Shalander@cgiar.org

Photo: ICRISAT/P. Panjiar

CaravanICARDA18 ISSUE 30 | 2014CAPACITY STRENGTHENING WITH AGENDER DIMENSION

While most would agree that agender focus is important, andnecessary, in agricultural researchfor development, properimplementation may facesignificant obstacles. Biophysicalscientists who have neverpreviously been exposed togender issues may lackawareness, or struggle toincorporate a gender componentinto their work.

Consequently, crucial insights intocertain aspects of drylandagricultural production systemsmay be neglected or missedentirely. It is often the case, forinstance, that research initiativesfail to understand sufficiently thedifferent roles and responsibilitiesof men and women. Many mayalso ignore the issue of genderedrelationships and how thesegovern access to resources anddecision-making.

Furthermore, despite theavailability of solid social sciencemethods, household surveys, and

participatory research,methodologies are often not'gendered'; even when researchhas a gender focus, researchersmay struggle to analyze dataeffectively.

The result: failure not only toaddress the disempowerment andmarginalization of women, but totackle low productivity and ruralpoverty in general. Women, afterall, are a crucial component of theagricultural workforce and keycontributors to household income.Without addressing their needs wecannot begin to address the needsof an entire community.

REVERSING THE GENDER GAP

How do we go about reversing thisfailure, more effectivelyincorporating gender intoagricultural research fordevelopment, and equippingresearchers with the knowledgeand tools to transform the waythey currently approach women'sissues?

ICARDA's experience in Ethiopiaand across the Middle East andNorth Africa suggests an approachfocused on three maincomponents: capacitystrengthening – providing trainingprograms, courses, and ongoingmentoring that expose researchersto relevant concepts and methods;long-term investments inindividuals and organizations todevelop expertise and strengthenpeer exchange and learning; and'learning by doing' – providingresearchers with the time andopportunity to participate initerative learning and field-basedpractices. Insights from theseexperiences provide a frameworkto guide gender-awareness effortselsewhere.

Strengthening social and genderanalysis in the Middle East andNorth AfricaConsultations with researchers inthe Middle East revealed awidespread failure to effectivelyintegrate social and gender

Incorporating gender into agricultural research for development initiatives is easier said thandone. While increasingly recognized as a crucial consideration in drylands studies, researchersmay lack gender awareness and experience, and even when research has been 'gendered’,struggle to analyze data effectively. ICARDA's experience in Ethiopia, the Middle East, and NorthAfrica reveals important insights to help address these limitations.

Capacity strengthening with a gender dimension

the tools Lebanese researchersuse for social engagement withrural communities; increasedawareness about the failures ofpast development efforts to benefitwomen in Morocco; and thedevelopment of gender-sensitiveparticipatory tools, field researchguidance, and research questionsat ENFI.

ETHIOPIA: BREAKING THEGENDER MOLD

Working alongside scientists fromnational agricultural researchcenters in Ethiopia convinced Dr.Bezaiet Dessalegne, a livelihoodsspecialist at ICARDA, that simplytelling researchers to includewomen in their studies did notwork. Taking a different approach,Dr. Dessalegne organized aworkshop targeting young, mostlymale, researchers from thesecenters.

Instead of endless slide showpresentations, participants engagedin interactive exercises and fieldstudies that encouraged discussionand debate. "We took researchersto a farming community in theregion that they knew well. Theyknew the community members butassumed that what the men saidwas sufficient for their research,"says Dr. Dessalegne.

Three separate focus groupdiscussions were held: one with allmale farmers, another with allfemale farmers, and a thirdcomprising both male and femalefarmers. They were asked the

CaravanICARDA 19ISSUE 30 | 2014CAPACITY STRENGTHENING WITH A

GENDER DIMENSION

analyses into agricultural researchfor development. In response,ICARDA teamed up with Canada'sInternational DevelopmentResearch Centre (IDRC) to buildregional capacity and generateinnovative practices and methodsthat demonstrate the added valueof social and gender analysis(SAGA).

The initiative targeted fourinstitutions: Algeria's InstitutNational de le RechercheAgronomique (INRA); Lebanon'sCollective for Research andTraining on Development Action(CRTD-A); the Ecole Nationaled'Agriculture (ENA) in Morocco;and the Ecole Nationale Forestiered'Ingenieurs (ENFI), also inMorocco.

Although a tailored approach wasadopted to meet the specificrequirements of each institution, aset of common principles was alsoapplied: delivering intensivesupport to a small number ofteams; providing hands-on,practical opportunities for personaldevelopment; encouraging self-sufficiency so that researchers donot rely on external support andchange can be sustained whensupport is no longer available; andholding regular regional workshopsfor interaction, feedback, anddiscussion.

The impacts were clear, andincluded: gender dimensionsreflected in the proposalsdeveloped by the INRA team inAlgeria; gender incorporated into

same questions and each groupresponded differently. There weremany issues facing the communitythat the researchers were unawareof, or did not recognize as apriority, despite having workedthere for three years.

Women were more vocal in adiscussion group composed only offemales, and as a result,researchers were encouraged touse various gender-sensitivemethods to assess communityneeds. The result of the initiative:increased awareness of theconstraints facing womenproducers, and a much tighterfocus on their needs.

DELIVERING MORE EQUITABLECHANGE

Efforts to incorporate gender intoagricultural research fordevelopment are not only a moralresponse to the disempowermentand marginalization that manywomen experience across the dryareas; they also make economicsense. Inaction means lowproductivity and a failure to exploitfully the potential of women'stalents and experience.

ICARDA's experiences revealproven strategies to address this,providing a framework forresearchers to reverse thetendency to overlook the needs ofwomen, and a real opportunity tosecure more equitabledevelopment outcomes.

For more information: Dr. Aden Aw-Hassan, Director,Social, Economic and PolicyResearch Program, ICARDAA.Aw-Hassan@cgiar.org

Dr. Bezaiet Dessalegne,Livelihoods Specialist, ICARDAB.Dessalegne@cgiar.org

INCORPORATING GENDER INTO RESEARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT Tailor capacity strengthening to focus on research team

requirements Encourage self-sufficiency to sustain improvements over the

long term Hold regular workshops for interaction, feedback, and discussion Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration Provide a platform for women to raise their voices.

The International Center for AgriculturalResearch in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is theglobal agricultural research organizationworking with countries in the world’s dry andmarginal areas to deliver sustainable systemssolutions that increase productivity, improverural nutrition, and strengthen national foodsecurity. ICARDA’s integrated approachincludes new crop varieties; agronomy; on-farm water productivity; natural resourcesmanagement; rangeland and small ruminantproduction; and socioeconomic and policyresearch to better target poverty issues andaccelerate technology adoption. A member ofthe CGIAR Consortium, ICARDA leads itsglobal research program, Dryland Systems. Toachieve its goals, the Center works closelywith national agricultural research programsand other partners in more than 50 countriesacross North and Sub-Saharan Africa, andCentral, South and West Asia. www.icarda.org

The CGIAR Research Program on DrylandSystems brings together a wide range ofpartners, including countries, research anddevelopment organizations, and private sectorto bring rural communities living in the world’sdry and marginal areas practical solutions forbetter livelihoods and food security. The goalof Dryland Systems is to identify and developresilient, diversified and more productivecombinations of crop, livestock, rangeland,aquatic and agroforestry systems thatincrease productivity, reduce hunger andmalnutrition, and improve quality of life amongthe rural poor. Systems research teams – inpartnership with rural communities andcountries – are working to validate technologyand policy “packages” targeted to agro-ecosystems in drylands, and promote theirscaling-out in five flagship regions: West AfricaSahel and the Dry Savannas; East andSouthern Africa; North Africa and West Asia;Central Asia and the Caucasus; and SouthAsia.drylandsystems.cgiar.org

CGIAR is a global research partnership for afood-secure future. CGIAR research isdedicated to reducing rural poverty, increasingfood security, improving human health andnutrition, and ensuring sustainablemanagement of natural resources. It is carriedout by the 15 Centers that are members of theCGIAR Consortium in close collaboration withhundreds of partners, including national andregional research institutes, civil societyorganizations, academia, developmentorganizations and the private sector. www.cgiar.org

Improving Farming ValueChains – Supporting Iraq’sSmallholder FarmingCommunities A. Al-Haboby, P. Gasparini,K. Shideed. This working paper is areview of the progress andachievements of theHarmonized Support forAgriculture Development(HSAD) Iraq program,2013–2014.

Strengthening the Capacityof Iraq’s AgriculturalSectorA. Al-Haboby, P. Gasparini.This working paper is areview of the progress andachievements in CapacityBuilding of the HarmonizedSupport for AgricultureDevelopment (HSAD) Iraqprogram, 2013–2014.

Iraq Harvest: AgriculturalInnovation for Iraq'sSmallholder FarmersA magazine that summarizesthe key activities andachievements of theHarmonized Support forAgriculture Development(HSAD) Iraq program in2013–2014. It is acompilation of the work ofmany researchers who havecontributed to the substanceand achievements of theHSAD partnership.

Entomopathogenic Fungifor Integrated PestManagement: A Manual forDevelopment B. L. Parker, M. Skinner, M. El Bouhssini. A publication to promote andsupport the use of insect-killing fungi for pestmanagement. It is alsodesigned to enhance localcapacity to conduct researchon microbial control anddevelop appropriateprocedures for production ofbeneficial fungi.

Farmers’ Perceptions ofWater Policies: A CaseStudy from the JordanianBadiaS. Akroush, R. Telleria, Water and LivelihoodInitiative (WLI). This working paper reviews acase study of farmers’perceptions of policies andregulations to improve watersecurity in the Jordanian Badia. Theaim is to improve watermanagement andconservation by engaging all stakeholders, in particularfarmers and ruralcommunities, in this common goal.

Reliable High-throughputPhenotyping Tools toAssess Adaptive Traits forWheat in DroughtEnvironmentsThis working paperdocuments techniques for:delivering germplasm withenhanced productivity underdrought to the Central andWest Asia and North Africaregion; developing innovativemethodology to determinewater soluble carbohydratesfrom standing crops usingproximal hyperspectralsensing; and buildingcapability in phenotyping and trait selection.

For more about ICARDA publications see: www.icarda.org/publications.htm