The document discusses gender mainstreaming in agricultural research for development by ASARECA, highlighting the importance of gender responsiveness in agricultural planning and implementation. Key objectives include enhancing understanding of gender within partner organizations, influencing gender-responsive policies, securing resources for mainstreaming, and institutionalizing gender considerations in programs. Additionally, it outlines strategies for capacity building, integrating gender analysis in research, and establishing networks for sharing best practices across member countries.

1. 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

2. ASARECA (Association for Strengthening Agricultural
Research in Eastern and Central Africa)
An association of 11
Country NARs in the
ECA, region

3. 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

4. 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


5. Programmes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Staple Crops
High Value Non-staple Priority Crops
Livestock and Fisheries
Agro-biodiversity and Biotechnology
Natural Resource Management and
Biodiversity
6. Policy Analysis and Advocacy
7. Knowledge Management and Technology
Uptake
8. East African Agricultural Productivity
Program

6. Technical support units
1. Partnerships and Capacity
Development (PCD)
2. Information & communication (ICU)
3. Information technology(ICT)
4. Monitoring and Evaluation
5. Gender mainstreaming
6. Environmental and Social Safeguards

7. Staff complement
(Source ASARECA June HR, 2013)
25
20
15
Female
Male
10
5
0
40
19
National
Regional

8. Gender mainstreaming in ASARECA
Steps in progress
ECAPAPA
(1996-2003)
GM for
enhancing
efficiency
(2004 -2006)
Planning
stage (2007
– 2008)
Operational
stage (2009
– 2012)
Gender
mainstreami
ng unit
(2013)

9. Identifying Regional Priorities

10. Stakeholder priorities
Themes
1. Developing Institutional
Mechanisms for GM at
ASARECA and Member
Institutions
2. Integrating Gender in
Programmes and Projects
3. Building Capacity in
Gender Mainstreaming at
ASARECA and NARS
Sub-Theme
1.1 Develop a gender policy of ASARECA
1.2 Support the NARS to establish systems
for gender mainstreaming
2.1 Develop and implement gender
responsive projects
2.2 Integrate gender participatory
methodologies in problem identification,
priority setting, intervention options,
implementation and dissemination of
technologies
2.3 Conduct gender analysis at every stage of
technology development, dissemination
and adoption
2.4 Assess the impact of gender
mainstreaming in ASARECA and NARS
3.1 Develop technical capacity
3.2 Develop capacity for gender impact
assessment mechanisms for mindset and
attitude change
Wtd
Scores
23.36
Priority
Ranking
6
26.67
4
27.84
3
29.25
2
25.55
5
20.44
30.53
8
1
21.58
7

11. 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

12. 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
11/11/2013
12

13. 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
ASARECA
11/11/2013
gender
mainstreaming
13
in

14. GM Guiding Principles
1. Addressing gender issues is a pre-requisite for a
successful agricultural research agenda
1. The responsibility of gender mainstreaming lies at
the highest policy and technical levels of the
organisation
1. Systematic use of gender analysis and gender disaggregated data (GDD) in research processes
1. Equal participation of women and men in decision
making at all levels of the organisation
1. Monitoring and evaluation of gender mainstreaming
shall constitute part of management performance
indicators
11/11/2013
14

15. ASARECA GM Strategy
GM Thematic Area I
Developing institutional mechanisms for GM
Key Actions
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

16. ASARECA GM Strategy …
GM Thematic Area II
Integrating gender aspect into programmes/projects
Key Actions
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

17. Highlights of the progress
Capacity building
Gender mainstreaming policy
Engendering research cycle
Networking and building partnership

18. Example on capacity development
COUNTRIES
TITLE
NUMBER OF
PARTICIPANT
W
Secretariat
Concepts, approaches, and data collection
tools
UGANDA
M
27
33
Gender mainstreaming, action planning
35
RWAND, DRC, Opportunite egale pour un Development
Aricole Juste et Durable”
BRUNDI
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

19. ASARECA Staff Gender Disaggregated Data Training at
Field level
Page 19

21. Madagascar Gender Training

22. 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

23. 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

24. Overview of progress
Regional gender mainstreaming policy is being
developed
Provide coherent set of guideline to ensure gender
responsiveness in all planned actions and its
implementations
Will be validated in November
Uganda
8th 2013 Entebbe

25. Overview of progress
Regional gender mainstreaming platform
established for exchanging experiences and
effective practices through GM working group
 Gender focal persons identified and joint
planning workshop was held
 Country action plan developed
 Focus areas identified

26. Focus areas
Capacity development
Generating information
Institutional assessment
Sufficient fund
write shop (November 5 – 7), 2013

27. Way forward
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

28. 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

29. Gender Mainstreaming Activities
Implementing
Strategy
Secretariat GM
Capacity
Communication
& Advocacy
Engender all ASARECA
templates, guidelines, frameworks –
gender policy
Engendering research cycle
Gender disaggregated data
Internal forum for equal opportunity
& wellbeing in organization
Capacity building
Support M&E
Information & Knowledge sharing
Regional GM consultation platform
ToT
Programmes
Gender responsive planning & reporting
Manuals, mentoring, need based training

31. T
H
A
N
K
Y
O
U