Integrating gender research into agricultural and environmental research projects

1. Integrating gender research into
agricultural and environmental
research projects
Ruth Mendum, Penn State University
Mary Njenga, ICRAF
Esther Njuguna-Mungai, ICRISAT
Millicent Liani, ICRISAT
Edward Bikketi, ICRISAT

2. Gender research: methodological
origins
Theory:
Humanities Based
Research
Social Science
Empirical
Methods
Applied
Gender
Sensitive
Biophysical
Research

3. The Gender, Agriculture,
Energy and
Environment Initiative
(GAEEI)
Goals:
• Support and expand research
• Engage in meaningful training and instruction
• Provide networking opportunities for those
working on complex “wicked problems” i.e
climate change, inequality etc that benefit from a
gender analysis

4. Gender Research
and Integrated
Training
Supported by CGIAR
Implemented by Penn State University
Aims
• Enhance skills in research methodology
• Provide platform for understanding and implementing integrated gender
research
• Create research teams between Penn State and CG
Status
• Initial cohort in 2016 of 15 scientists 4 men and 11 women from CGIAR
paired with faculty members from Penn State University (Mary and Ruth)
• Two 3 week workshops at Penn State,
• Support for Penn State to work together onsite with GRIT Alumni

5. ICRAF’s Gender Strategy and Action Plan
The goal is to create
an
institutional
environment that
supports
gender-sensitive and
gender-
transformative
research and
development in
agroforestry
landscapes as a
critical contribution
to achieving
ICRAF’s mission and
vision.

6. Interdisciplinary Gender Research:
How it works and why it matters
ICRAF GRIT Alumni: Mary Njenga working with Ruth Mendum
Gender and energy
• Integration from project co-designing.
• Discussions on methodologies
• Moving away from silo approach to constant iterative interactions
across disciplines and outcomes
Tree based energy framework for ESAf
Definitions
Scope
Nexus
Methods and approaches
Putting research into practice
Partnerships
ICRAF GRIT Alumni
Brian Chiputwa on Research methods
Djalal Ademonla in Mali

7. Recent discussions with farmers in Embu
showed that
 pruning for firewood is carried out by
boys aged 10-15 years(initiation)
(explained by a young man)
 aging is a huge concern for women in
firewood collection (explored and
explained by young women with aging
mothers)
 home heating especially for children
and elderly family members indicates
continued use of firewood/charcoal
 users needs and preferences in cooking
fuel and stove variety shape energy
practices
An example on gender and energy

8. Gender strategy for the CRP Grain Legumes: 2013-2016
• Overarching Goal: knowledge
generation, strategic gender research,
strengthening relevance and targeting;
gender disaggregated data and
analysis; capacity building.
• Outcomes: Contributing to the ‘gender
and empowernment intermediate
Development Ooutcome (IDO) of the
SRF’ with 2 indicators
– Women’s participation in decision
making
– Women’s control over resources
1 December 2016 8

9. CRP Grain Legumes:Capacity building on
Gender analysis
• Partnership with Pennsylvania State
University for ‘Gender research
integration training’ for postdocs over 2
years: 2016-2017 through the GRIT
Program
• Postdocs - 2 year fellowship between
the CRP and the CGIAR gender network
office
• Interns [short term specific
assignments] and Msc students hosted
in projects
• Gender integration workshop for
product line research teams
• Direct participation with scientists
1 December 2016 9

10. Analysis of gender yield gaps in legume [cereals] systems :ICRSAT
Post Doc shared by GL/DC –
GRIT Alumni:Edward Bikketi
- Delving into the methodology of
assessing gender gaps in legumes
and cereals farming systems
- Designing a qualitative and
quantitative approaches for use,
and possible scaling up
- Case studies in Malawi and
Ethiopia on Groundnut and Barley
production systems
Intern in TLIII/Gender program-
Uzo Nkamuke
• TLII dataset for Malawi and
Tanzania [2008, 2010, 2012],
[In Malawi, male groundnut farmers
are 28% more productive than
female , while male pigeon pea
farmers are 29% more productive
than female farmers; s
In Tanzania, : women groundnut
farmer are 22.5% more productive
than male farmers while male pigeon
peas farmers are 8.4% more
productive than female farmers]
[20-22% of the gender gap attributed
to endowment effect]
1 December 2016 10
Future
• Main gender research question under
TLIII
• Closing the gender gap is a pathway in
improving legume productivity
• Long term databases on KEY gender
gap indicators [Site integration
countries?]

11. Is gender voice ‘unheard in breeding’ – PostDoc at
ICRISAT
• Participatory research (PR) is a
process of inquiry between
scientists and communities that
aims to resolve problems through
an interactive process of discovery,
empowerment, knowledge sharing
and action
• Inherent in the theoretical PR
approach is the inclusion of
marginalized voices to ensure that
everyone’s inputs and needs are met
• This postdoc began in March 2016
and is in progress.
1 December 2016 11
• How has gender been
incorporated in PPB
programs? By whom and
where?
• Gender should be an explicit
part of “Who’s reality
counts” – so how has it
been?
• What types of data are being
collected, and analyzed?
• Sorghum and Cowpea case
studies
Gender
Participatory
Research

12. Incorporating gender sensitive traits in breeding
programs: Beans example (Beebe et al.) :ICRISAT
The value of short cooking
time
- Women could save 9 hours
per week with pre-cooked
beans [implications for
industrial processing?]
- Part of the time could be
recovered with fast cooking
beans for [4-5 hours a
week]
• Beyond lists of gender
preferences, understanding
the impact of traits with
gender implications would
encourage breeders to
engage
• Breeding for gender traits
like cooking time? Where
there’s a will, there’s a way
(usually)
• Beebe et al. designing a bean
breeding program responsive
to this in ESA?
1 December 2016 12

13. Discussion