This poster was presented by Vivian Polar (RTB / CIP) for the pre-Annual Scientific Conference meeting organized for the CGIAR research program gender research coordinators on 4 December. The annual scientific conference of the CGIAR collaborative platform for gender research took place on 5-6 December 2017 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where the Platform is hosted (by KIT Royal Tropical Institute). Read more: http://gender.cgiar.org/gender_events/annual-scientific-conference-capacity-development-workshop-cgiar-collaborative-platform-gender-research/

1. CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas
Gender Strategy for Phase II
Vivian Polar, RTB • Holly Holmes, RTB
Collaborative Platform on Gender Research Meeting,
Amsterdam, 4 December 2017
www.rtb.cgiar.org
Why a gender strategy for RTB?
Roots, tubers and bananas crops are some of the most
important staple crops in the worlds’ poorest regions. Often
rich in key nutrients such as pro-vitamin A, RTB crops have high
potential to improve food security, nutrition, income and
climate change resilience of smallholders, particularly women
and youth. Yet the benefits derived from these crops are often
not equitably distributed between women and men. The
objective of the strategy is to integrate gender into all aspects
of research, development and uptake of new RTB technologies
and practices.
How did we develop the gender strategy?
The gender component of RTB during the program’s first phase
focused on gender analysis and gender integration. This
process gave way to a set of lessons learnt that were later
addressed through specific design elements and activities in the
gender strategy. Figure 1 shows some of the lessons learnt in
Phase I and specific actions undertaken in Phase II.
Lessons Learnt from
RTB Phase I
Design elements for
RTB Phase II
Examples of
implementation
Need for more collaboration
and integration between social
and biophysical scientists
Other institutions outside the
CG have high specialization in
gender mainstreaming
Gender research and analysis
needs to be embeded in
technology design to enhance
benefits and uptake by women
Including gender elements in
existing research methods and
tools is more practical than
developing separate methods
Need to implement capacity
development on gender but
difficulties to implement
directly
Facilitate mechanism to promote
collaboration between different
types of scientists and promote
partnerships with experienced
gender institutions.
Promote capacity development
collaboration to draw knowledge
on gender research and strengthen
capacity development.
Develop gender responsive
operational frameworks, and
communication strategies to
promote technology uptake by
women and men.
Explore and analyze the difference
in women and men’s capacities to
Access adopt and Benefit from
innovations in agriculture
Develop partnerships with other
institutions and organizations with
expertise in gender
The Gender and Breeding
Innitiative promotes collaboration
and development of partnerships
Capacity building events with
GREAT draw on expertise
knowledge and promote
collaboration
Sweet potato seed systems in
Malawi, Bangladesh
Communication strategy on BBTD,
BXW
Strategic gender research through
GENNOVATE
Figure 1. Lessons learnt in Phase I and their influence on the
design of RTB Phase II
How is the gender strategy structured?
The strategy has two complementary components: a)
integrated gender research which is embedded in the operation
of flagship projects 1, 2 and 3, with dedicated funding on
technology clusters; and b) strategic gender research across
flagship projects with a dedicated and crosscutting gender
learning and support cluster. Strategic research will deepen the
analysis of the relationship between gender and agri-food
system innovations and thus help to streamline gender
elements across the RTB research cycle. (See elements from the
impact pathway in Figure 2)
GENDER PRODUCTS
in RTB FS Projects
IntegratedGenderResearchStrategicGenderResearch
Gender responsive
assessment of users needs
and trait preferences
Improoved RTB candidate
varieties with traits of
importance to men and
women
Approaches and tools to
designing gender responsive
ICM and IPDM
Guidelines for gender
responsive agricultural
innovation
Capacity development
strategies and materials
Gender responsive
information and
communication strategies
RESEARCH OUTCOMES
Varieties with traits of
importance to men and
women developed
Gender responsive ICM and
IPDM practices developed
and disseminated
Improved awareness, skills
and cpacity for gender
responsive agricultural
innovation
More innovative and
equitable knowledge on
inclusive agricultural
innovation
DEVELOPMENT
OUTCOMES
Women increase the
adoption of varieties with
their preferred traits
Increase areas under more
resilient and sustainable
RTB cropping systems
Impoved equity in the
distribution of benefits
from RTB crops
Methods and tools for
gender responsive value
chain development
Gender responsive tools and
methods for value chain
research developed
Women obtain more acces
to information, knowledge
and technologies
Women influrence
resource management and
decisión making processes
Sub - IDOs
Gender
equitable
control over
productive
resources
Improved
womens’
capacity to
participate in
decisión
making
Figure 2. Elements from RTB’s Impact Pathway
Researchers conduct
field work as part of
a GREAT course for
roots, tubers and
bananas.
Photo: GREAT
Focus Group
Discussion
participants as part
of GENNOVATE
research. Photo:
A.Rietveld/Bioversity