Integrating gender research into agricultural and environmental

research projects

Ruth Mendum, Penn State UniversityMary Njenga, ICRAF

Esther Njuguna-Mungai, ICRISATMillicent Liani, ICRISATEdward Bikketi, ICRISAT

Gender research: methodological origins

Theory: Humanities

Based Research

Social Science Empirical Methods

Applied Gender Sensitive

Biophysical Research

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

Gender Research and Integrated Training

Supported by CGIARImplemented 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

ICRAF’s Gender Strategy and Action Plan

The goal is to create aninstitutional environment that supportsgender-sensitive and gender-transformativeresearch and development in agroforestrylandscapes as a critical contribution to achievingICRAF’s mission and vision.

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 ESAfDefinitionsScopeNexusMethods and approachesPutting research into practicePartnerships

ICRAF GRIT AlumniBrian Chiputwa on Research methodsDjalal Ademonla in Mali

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

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

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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

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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]

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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?]

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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.

• 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

Incorporating gender sensitive traits in breeding programs: Beans example

(Beebe et al.) :ICRISATThe 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?

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Discussion