ICRISAT Global Planning Meeting 2019: Gender integration into the GL and DC value chains by Esther Njuguna and team
Gender integration into the GL and DC value
chains
Esther Njuguna-Mungai (ESA), Jummai Yila (WCA) Ravula Padmaja
(SA), Edward Bikketi (Post-Doc) Lilian Nkengla (ex-visiting scientist)
7 February 2019
Acknowledgements…
• ICRISAT
• CRP GL and DC, and now GLDC
• The GENDER Action Plan (postdoc
fellowships, GRIT training).
• PIM/GENDER Platform – competitive calls
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – TLIII,
HOPE2, GENNOVATE
Gender and Breeding Initiative
(http://www.rtb.cgiar.org/gender-breeding-initiative/news-and-opinions/tools-
enabling-breeding-programs-gender-responsive/)
• Engaged with the CRP Wide discussions on gender and
breeding initiative
• Selected representatives from various CRPs; 2
Conference workshops brought together the
Breeders/Genomics/Gender scientists to discuss areas of
convergence
• In three years; a book was written of case studies (we
contributed a chapter on seed systems), a practical
decision checklist on entry points on breeding cycle
• Tools for customer profiling and product profiling
• Moving forward: engaging with module 1 in the
EIB/GREAT project and GBI to agree on areas of overlap,
interest, methods, tools and case studies for CGIAR wide
engagement
Postdoctoral fellowship: gender and breeding
- Challenging to
have a person
hold and complete
position, 1st PDF
got a job in the
USA; Visiting
scientist stayed for
less than 1 year,
got another job
- But….
Phase 1: Extensive literature review
• Building on a CGIAR publication written in 2003, “Participatory Plant Breeding and
Gender Analysis,” we assess how inclusion of gender voice has progressed in practice,
over the past two decades
• The literature is being assessed using grounded theory to determine if and how the
functional, strategic, and conceptual barriers to gender analysis in PPB have changed
original research articles, chapters, reviews since 2000 review/book
• Coding structure: degree of participation, inclusion of gender, gender analysis,
functional barriers, strategic barriers, conceptual barriers, crops, region, new
knowledge generated from inclusion of marginalized groups
Phase 2:
Extensive
review of
ICRISAT
breeding
programs in
WCA (n=29, 4
researchers) 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Stage 8- Seed multiplication/dissemination
Stage 7- Testing done on farms fields (PVS)
Stage 6- Establishing testing Procedure
Stage 5- Screening of advanced lines
Stage 4- Selection of early generation
Stage 3- Selection of parents
Stage 2- Testing done on farms fields (PVS)
Stage 1- Setting breeding objectives
Gender consideration along breeding cycle
No Yes
Enhancing capacities for gender responsive breeding among
ICRISAT and NARS teams
GREAT delivers training to agricultural
researchers from SSA in the theory and
practice of gender-responsive research,
seeking to increase opportunities for equitable
participation and the sharing of benefits from
agricultural research and improve the outcomes
for smallholder wo
men farmers, entrepreneurs, and farmer
organizations across sub-Saharan Africa
• Two cohorts of TLIII Affiliated NARS
partners – breeders and social
scientists from 7 countries in SSA
trained in collaboration with GREAT
(Cornell University and Makerere
University)
Participants engage in role play to illustrate barriers to
women's active participation in agricultural activities
Enhancing capacities for gender responsive
breeding among ICRISAT
• Partnership with Pennsylvania State
University for ‘Gender research
integration training’ for postdocs over 2
years: 2016-2018
• Postdocs - 2 year fellowship between
the CRP and the CGIAR gender network
office
• Interns [short term specific
assignments] and Msc students hosted
in projects
Mixed methods dataset: 1st available in the
gender team for North and East Uganda
• 514 households surveyed in Northern and East Uganda (54% are women
respondents)
• 4 Districts (Dokolo, Nwoya, Kumi and Serere) surveyed
• 48 focus group discussions among youth, mature and senior men and
women implemented
• Initial results shared in a synthesis meeting: specific focus on traits that
influence choice of varieties for groundnuts
• One key lessons: earliness as a trait is a really important trait for marriage
and seed gifting; brewing traits are key for building relationships/strategy
for mitigating GBV
• Way forward: Detailed analysis
1. Rural women in smallholder agriculture are the ‘key decision
makers’ on use of non-hybrid seeds
2. Rural women in smallholder agriculture are not reached by
information about improved seeds
3. Rural women in smallholder have developed and sustained
an efficient systems of seed management and distribution for
non-hybrid seeds
4. Rural women in smallholder agriculture are rational, with
demonstrated genetic gains, they can use improved non-hybrid
seeds
Gender Dynamics in Seed Systems: Uganda
Photo credit: Ruth.Wanjiku_GSEED
• Main source of seed for rural
women is own sources, other
neighbours and then the cereal
stockiest.
• Cereal stockiest accounts for 50-
84% of ‘seed’ (grain) bought
(money transaction) Is the cereal
stockist an enemy or an significant
actor we need to start having a
conversation with?
• Way forward: Social
behavior change
communication with the
farmer?, the cereal stockist?
• Partnership with CBCC in
Nairobi
Where do rural women smallholders (In Uganda) get GLDC seeds from?
Why analyse gender gaps in a cropping system?
Status of the food report of 2011:
• if female farmers have the same level of access as male farmers to
agricultural inputs and services, they could increase farm yields by 20-30%
and the spillover to food security, nutrition security and income generation
would be significant
• levelling the field of access to agricultural inputs for women farmers to
the level of men farmers would be a significant pathway for enhancing
agricultural production and empowering communities
• Are input access a pathway for gender empowerment? Does the
context matter?
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Uganda
(sorghums) and Malawi
(groundnuts)
Gender gap in
groundnut
production
Household
composition,
headship
Layered
rights, access
to resources
Decision
making, agency
Participation
interests
Kinship
structures,
institutions
Variety, seed
replacement
Social
Structure
and Cultural
Norms
Household
Headship and
Composition
Layered
Rights to
Productive
Resources
Gender Gap
in Sorghum
Productivity
Kinship structures
and institutions
Household
headship and
composition
Layered rights to
access and use of
resources
Kinship Yield Gap &
Gender Yiled Gaps
in Groundut
Productivity
Book Chapters:
1. Bikketi, E., Njuguna-Mungai, E., Johnny E. and Jensen, L. 2019. Kinship Structure, Gender
and Groundnut Productivity in Malawi. Book Chapter submitted to Routledge Book Series
on Gender and Agricultural Research.
2. Bikketi E., and Njuguna-Mungai, E.2019. Cultural Institutions, Gender and Social Norms in
Matrilineal and Patrilineal Contexts of Malawi. Forthcoming to be submitted to the
Regional Strategic Analysis Support and Knowledge Systems Annual Trends and Outlook
Report.
Journal Articles:
1. Bikketi, E, Njuguna-Mungai, E., Muricho, G., Thuranira, E., Ojiewo C. and Okori P.2019.
Decomposing the Groundnut Gender Yield Gaps from a Kinship Structure Perspective;
Evidence from Smallholders in Malawi. Journal of Gender Place and Culture.
2. Bikketi, E., Njuguna-Mungai, Johnny, E., Muricho, G., Ojiewo., and Ugen, M. 2019.
Estimating and Decomposing the Gender Yield Gap in Sorghum Productivity; Evidence
from Smallholders in Eastern and Northern Uganda. Journal of Development Studies
Policy Briefs:
1. Bikketi, E., Njuguna-Mungai, E., Ojiewo, C. and Muricho. G. 2019. Policy and Development
Inferences from Plot-Level Gender Yield Gaps in Groundnut Productivity in Malawi. Policy
Brief, Grain Legumes Dryland Cereals CRP. ICRISAT-ESA
Publications in the pipeline from the postdoctoral fellow
How do we close the Gender gaps in the GL and DC systems?:
Empowerment innovation strategy
Improving access to credit for crop production and
expanding off-farm related businesses- VSLA (Ghana)
GLDC
YOUTH
STRATEGY
1. PhD Student, I Msc level intern
2. A comprehensive literature review
3. Strategic partnership with GREAT/MAKERERE for qualitative training
4. Partnerships with country teams drawn from Tanzania (SUA), Ethiopia (Haramaya) and Uganda (Makerere)
5. Way forward – training and field data collection starting 11th February 2018
Social norms and gender relations in watershed interventions –
Bundelkana Region, India
- Hydrology was very
successful (ground water
recharge, 2 crops instead of
one, forages) too
- +mpacts on nutrition,
income
- But:
- Women involvement in
committees was written on
paper
- The labour burden, time use
was increased
- Team re-enforced traditional
inequality through use of a
norm on brother taking care
of sis replaced by teak
saplings
- GTA?
Women empowerment?
Access women
Benefit women
Empowering women
– transforming their
agency and decision
making
http://www.ifpri.org/blog/reach-benefit-or-empower-clarifying-
gender-strategies-development-projects