Gender mainstreaming in agricultural research for development: Experiences from ASARECA

Yeshi Chiche

Livestock and Fish Gender Working Group Workshop and Planning Meeting

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 14-18, 2013

ASARECA (Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa)

An association of 11 Country NARs in the ECA, region

Background The 11 ASARECA countries

cover an area of 8.5 million km2

total population of more than 280 million people and most of these people depend on Agriculture for their livelihood

Overall, agriculture accounts for 43 percent of regional GDP

Agriculture is a very important sector in the social and economic development in ECA

ASARECA’s Mission

enhance regional collective action in: agricultural research for development, extension and agricultural training and education

promote: economic growth, fight poverty, eradicate hunger and enhance sustainable use of resources in

Eastern and Central Africa

Programmes 1. Staple Crops2. High Value Non-staple Priority Crops 3. Livestock and Fisheries4. Agro-biodiversity and Biotechnology5. Natural Resource Management and

Biodiversity 6. Policy Analysis and Advocacy7. Knowledge Management and Technology

Uptake8. East African Agricultural Productivity

Program

Technical support units

1. Partnerships and Capacity Development (PCD)

2. Information & communication (ICU)3. Information technology(ICT)4. Monitoring and Evaluation5. Gender mainstreaming6. Environmental and Social Safeguards

Staff complement(Source ASARECA June HR, 2013)

40 19National Regional

0

5

10

15

20

25

FemaleMale

Gender mainstreaming in ASARECASteps in progress

ECAPAPA

(1996-2003)

Planning stage (2007 – 2008)GM for

enhancing efficiency (2004 -2006)

Operational stage (2009 – 2012)

Gender mainstreaming unit (2013)

Identifying Regional Priorities

Stakeholder prioritiesThemes Sub-Theme Wtd

ScoresPriority Ranking

1. Developing Institutional Mechanisms for GM at ASARECA and Member Institutions

1.1 Develop a gender policy of ASARECA 23.36 61.2 Support the NARS to establish systems

for gender mainstreaming 26.67 4

2. Integrating Gender inProgrammes and Projects

2.1 Develop and implement gender responsive projects 27.84 3

2.2 Integrate gender participatory methodologies in problem identification, priority setting, intervention options, implementation and dissemination of technologies

29.25 2

2.3 Conduct gender analysis at every stage of technology development, dissemination and adoption

25.55 5

2.4 Assess the impact of gender mainstreaming in ASARECA and NARS 20.44 8

3. Building Capacity in Gender Mainstreaming at ASARECA and NARS

3.1 Develop technical capacity 30.53 1

3.2 Develop capacity for gender impact assessment mechanisms for mindset and attitude change

21.58 7

Committing to “Walk the Talk”

Gender audit at Secretariat

SWOT Analysis of GM in ECA Ag. Research

Stakeholder ranking of GM in Ag. Research priorities

Developing the Strategy

Implementing the strategy

ASARECA GM Goal

· The overall goal of the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy is to:

ensure that ASARECA achieves gender responsiveness at all levels of institutional frameworks and all stages of design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the regional agricultural research agenda

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GM Objectives

The strategy identifies four strategic objectives for the period 2011 – 2015 which are:

· To develop a better understanding of gender amongst the NARS and key partners

· To influence the development of gender responsive policies in government and donor organizations

· To secure adequate and equitable allocation of resources for gender mainstreaming

· To institutionalize gender mainstreaming in ASARECA

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GM Guiding Principles

1. Addressing gender issues is a pre-requisite for a successful agricultural research agenda

2. The responsibility of gender mainstreaming lies at the highest policy and technical levels of the organisation

3. Systematic use of gender analysis and gender dis-aggregated data (GDD) in research processes

4. Equal participation of women and men in decision making at all levels of the organisation

5. Monitoring and evaluation of gender mainstreaming shall constitute part of management performance indicators

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ASARECA GM Strategy

· Develop an ECA regional gender policy

· Provide a regional platform for the exchange of experiences and practices through a GM working group

· Support the NARS and implementing partners to develop and sustain systems for GM

GM Thematic Area I

Key Actions

Developing institutional mechanisms for GM

ASARECA GM Strategy …

· Building capacity in gender analysis and GM for researchers and managers of NARS

· Facilitating the integration of gender into mechanisms and methodologies of ASARECA’s programmes and projects

GM Thematic Area II

Key Actions

Integrating gender aspect into programmes/projects

Highlights of the progress

· Capacity building

· Gender mainstreaming policy

· Engendering research cycle

· Networking and building partnership

Example on capacity development COUNTRIES TITLE NUMBER OF

PARTICIPANT

W M

Secretariat Concepts, approaches, and data collection tools

27 33

UGANDA Gender mainstreaming, action planning 35

RWAND, DRC,BRUNDI

Opportunite egale pour un Development Aricole Juste et Durable”

28 34

MADAGASCAR Opportunite egale pour un Development Aricole Juste et Durable”

13 15

ETHIOPIA Concepts and opportunities, tools skills in GM

15 45

KENYA Gender mainstreaming, action planning 25 13

TANZANIA Gender mainstreaming in agricultural research

22 15

ASARECA Staff Gender Disaggregated Data Training at Field level

Page 19

Madagascar Gender Training

Highlights of the progress

Providing technical backstopping in proposal and research tools development

review of project documents for gender responsiveness requires follow-up and monitoring

Data colleting tools (survey questions) and approaches (methodologies) have been engendered

Needs to be standardized and obligatory across the member countries

Highlights of the progress · gender focal person identified

· Consultative meeting organized

· ToR for gender focal person reviewed and approved by the group to be approved by BoD

· Checklist for gender mainstreaming reviewed and shared needs to be adjusted for different field of

activities

· Regional gender mainstreaming net work established

Needs to more functional and effective

Overview of progress

Provide coherent set of guideline to ensure gender

responsiveness in all planned actions and its

implementations

Will be validated in November 8th 2013 Entebbe Uganda

Regional gender mainstreaming policy is being developed

Overview of progress

Gender focal persons identified and joint

planning workshop was held

Country action plan developed

Focus areas identified

Regional gender mainstreaming platform

established for exchanging experiences and

effective practices through GM working group

Focus areas

· Capacity development

· Generating information

· Institutional assessment

Sufficient fund

write shop (November 5 – 7), 2013

· Ensure that project implementers are aware about relevance of gender mainstreaming in agricultural research

· Ensure that project implementers have clear idea and better understanding about when and how

· Gender experts should be consulted at all stages of project cycle and organize gender training

· Organize forum for awareness raising and learning about tools for the field

Way forward

Way forward · Carry out the baseline survey to know how

livelihood is maintained in production of goods and services

· Who does what when and how (value chain players)

· Production and consumption patterns

· Post harvest management

· Economic and social factors affecting production and how is it different for women and men

Gender Mainstreaming Activities

Implementing Strategy

Secretariat GM Capacity

Communication & Advocacy

Support M&E

ToT Programmes

Engender all ASARECA templates, guidelines, frameworks – gender policy

Engendering research cycle

Gender disaggregated data

Internal forum for equal opportunity & wellbeing in organization

Capacity building

Information & Knowledge sharing

Gender responsive planning & reporting

Manuals, mentoring, need based training

Regional GM consultation platform

THANK YOU