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Dear colleagues,
We are happy to present the latest updates of the follow-up activities of the Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook. You can download new additions (new thematic notes and innovative activity profiles) to the Sourcebook, new publications building on the modules of the Sourcebook, proceedings of the International Expert Consultation on Gender in Agriculture, and other updates at www.worldbank.org/genderinag.

Inactive hide details for New Additions to the SourcebookNew Additions to the Sourcebook
New thematic notes (TN) and innovative activity profiles (IAP) are uploaded and added to the Sourcebook website. These are sections that were not included in the Sourcebook printed copies, due to size limitations, but they underwent an equally rigorous selection and review process as the printed book. [Download at www.worldbank.org/genderinag].


Inactive hide details for New PublicationsNew Publications

We are also happy to present new publications These are new publications that are expanded versions of a section of the Sourcebook or new reports from lessons learned and experiences of putting the Sourcebook into action over the last year. [Download at www.worldbank.org/genderinag].

 

Getting Good Government for Women: A Literature Review (World Bank ARD Discussion Paper): This review assesses what is known and not known about the interface of gender and governance. More specifically, the purpose of this review is to identify mechanisms that have been used to make the outcomes of public sector governance more responsive to women. The review focuses on the features of institutional design that underlie service delivery, and it assesses those that strengthen women’s representation in political and governance processes or build the capacity and incentives of the public sector to provide quality services that are accessible to and fit the needs of women. After presenting an organizing conceptual framework, more than 150 papers on women and gender issues in national and local politics and the public administration are reviewed to assess commonly used strategies, instruments, and institutions for gender-sensitive governance as well as the frame conditions that predict success or failure.

Gender and Governance in Rural Services: Insights from India, Ethiopia and Ghana (World Bank and IFPRI publication; Conference Edition): The book “Gender and Governance in Rural Services: Insights from India, Ghana and Ethiopia” provides policy-relevant knowledge on strategies to improve agricultural and rural service delivery with a focus on providing more equitable access to these services, especially for women. It focuses on India, Ethiopia, and Ghana, and on two public services: agricultural extension, as an example of an economic service, and on drinking water, as an example of rural service that is not directly related to agriculture but is of high relevance for rural women. It provides empirical microlevel evidence on how different accountability mechanisms for agricultural advisory services and drinking water provision work in practice, and analyzes factors that influence the suitability of different governance reform strategies that aim at making service provision more gender responsive. It presents major findings from the quantitative and qualitative research conducted under the project in the three countries, which are analyzed in a qualitative way to identify major patterns of accountability routes in agricultural and rural service provision and to assess their gender dimensions.

Gender and Rural Microfinance: Reaching and Empowering Women (IFAD publication): Building on Module 3 of the Sourcebook: Gender and Rural Finance, IFAD published “Gender and rural microfinance: Reaching and empowering women,” an overview of gender issues for rural finance practitioners. The comprehensive, 79-page Gender and rural microfinance guide will be useful to technical partners and microfinance institutions, gender practitioners working in rural microfinance, and academic researchers in the fields of gender and microfinance. The guide focuses on rural microfinance, which is defined as “all financial services that are accessible to poor and low-income rural households and individuals.” It highlights the questions that practitioners need to ask and address when trying to reach rural women and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through microfinance.

Lightening the Load -Labour-saving Technologies and Practices for Rural Women (IFAD and Practical Action Publication Ltd.): Building on the Thematic Notes on “Labour-saving technologies and practices” in Module 7-Gender in Agricultural Innovation and Education, this book looks back at three decades of experiences in introducing labour-saving technologies and practices to rural women and persisting gender discrimination in access and control. It takes into account major developments in science, technology and innovation over the last several years and shows how they can benefit women. It is hoped that this publication will promote a better understanding and knowledge of labour savings technologies and practices and their implications on women and gender roles [Upcoming at www.ifad.org ].

Reprints of the Sourcebook Module 13 (Fisheries) and Module 4 (Land): Module 13 on Gender Issues in Fisheries and Aquaculture has been reprinted as a separate publication due to popular demand. . The reprints were distributed by the Fisheries team in the World Bank during the Regional Workshop on Women and Fisheries in Hanoi, Vietnam in December 2008 and during the Twenty-eighth Session of the Committee on Fisheries held in FAO, Rome on March 2-6 2009. Further, Module 3 on Gender Issues in Land Policy and Administration is being reprinted as a separate publication by IFAD and the International Land Coalition (ILC), which is a global alliance of 83 civil society and intergovernmental organizations working together to promote secure and equitable access to and control over land for poor women and men .

Other Publications:

Inactive hide details for International Expert ConsultationInternational Expert Consultation

On March 16-17, 2009, the World Bank, FAO and IFAD held an International Expert Consultation entitled Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook: From Knowledge to Action. The Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook had been released the previous October, a year after the publication of the 2008 World Development Report Agriculture for Development. Much had happened in the interim. In the months following the release of Agriculture for Development, rapidly rising food prices were seriously diminishing the purchasing power of poor households in developing countries, and were threatening to push 105 million people in low income countries into poverty. The effects represented the reversal of seven years of progress in reducing global poverty. A variety of developments has compounded the effects of the food crisis on the poor, or are threatening to do so. Unstable financial markets have been an aggravating factor. Large-scale land acquisition in agriculture-based economies by multinational corporations and expanded biofuels production can potentially have serious implications for the rural poor. The effects of conflict, climate change and related disaster risks also fall disproportionately on the poor, and many of these effects are deeply gendered – they fall on men and women differently, and are likely to fall on women disproportionately in the many contexts in which they have fewer resources or livelihood alternatives to fall back upon.

The International Expert Consultation in March 2009 brought together over a hundred international experts to discuss the gender dimensions of issues raised in WDR2008 Agriculture for Development and in the Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook. The recommendations made at the Consultation were to be used to inform the FAO, IFAD, and World Bank in crafting and planning future programs and activities that relate to gender and rural development.

The discussions centered on seven key development challenges:

The discussions were focused on the constraints, opportunities, gaps, and recommendations for a way forward in those seven challenges in terms of:

Participants were given the opportunity to discuss the successes and failures of current and past projects and policies, as well as to formulate innovative solutions to these problems in an informal and interactive environment.

Furthermore, the consultation served as a platform to launch new, crosscutting partnerships by bringing together participants from both the public and private spheres, fostering a more inclusive dialogue which could benefit rural women and men at all levels. Participants were also introduced to a variety of innovative approaches so that they could effectively contribute their individual knowledge and expertise to identify what impacts these challenges have on rural women and men and highlight the best methods and practices to ensure that women and men in the agriculture sector are given the appropriate support and equal opportunities.

You can download the PROCEEDINGS from the Consultation at www.worldbank.org/genderinag.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS RESULTING FROM THE CONSULTATION: The consultation provided useful guidance to the three organizations – World Bank, FAO, and IFAD. . For instance, the research gaps identified are being used to developed research proposals to be submitted for funding. The Sourcebook and the draft proceedings will inform the 2010 edition of the FAO’s annual flagship report the State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA). The 2010 edition of SOFA on gender and agriculture will build on the Sourcebook’s and the consultation’s messages; it will address the development challenges which have emerged since the publication of the Sourcebook (e.g. the food price crisis) and provide new empirical evidence to increase understanding and raise awareness of women’s roles in agriculture and the gender-specific constraints they face. [For more information contact: Yianna Lambrou (Yianna.Lambrou@fao.org)].

Several activities are already being planned as an offshoot of the consultation. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is organizing an expanded consultation to focus on the private sector. Stephanie Barrientos and her team from the University of Manchester were commissioned to do the background paper on this topic. The three organizations (WB, FAO, and IFAD) are working out an arrangement with the Gates Foundation on the development and production of a new Sourcebook module on private sector which will embody the discussions and findings following the background paper on private sector.

There were also other key topics that were suggested in the March consultation: (i) focus on men, especially men’s behavioral change and gaining support from men for women’s empowerment; (ii) focus on youth; and (iii) understanding power relations within the household, community and governance structures resulting from market and agricultural policy changes. The three organizations are currently looking for partners to work on these topics.

Inactive hide details for Operationalizing the SourcebookOperationalizing the Sourcebook

OPERATIONALIZING THE SOURCEBOOK: Through the World Bank Gender Action Plan (GAP) funding, the Sourcebook team was able to start the process of providing technical support to integrate gender approaches in a number of planned World Bank agricultural operations. These gender integration initiatives are a start for pilot-testing several of the Sourcebook modules. Already in 2008 and early 2009, several modules including Land, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Agriculture Markets, and Innovations were pilot-tested in a number of World Bank projects. Gender analysis, based on the Sourcebook modules, was performed in different national contexts to inform the design of the following projects: (i) Real Estate Cadastre and Registration Project, Kosovo; (ii) Second Land Administration Project (LAP-2) in West Bank and Gaza; (iii) Vietnam Fisheries Project; (iv) Nigeria Commercial Agriculture; and (v) Mali Agriculture Productivity and Food Security Project (PAPAM). Presently, the team is preparing for scoping missions for two additional projects: (i) Nigeria Rural Mobility and Access Project; (ii) Ethiopia Agricultural Growth Project; and (iii) Zambia Irrigation project.

Checklists and toolkits on these themes/modules are being prepared to provide easy and quick guides for task team leaders and project teams. Informal reports on lessons learned, challenges, and recommendations on improvements for future updates of the Sourcebook modules and the sample terms of reference for the consultants (international and local) who performed the gender analysis and provided technical assistance to integrate gender into the project design and operational manuals are also available upon request. Please email Catherine Ragasa (cragasa@worldbank.org) or John Mackedon (jmackedon@worldbank.org).

In addition to providing useful insights and lessons learned for future Sourcebook updates, there has been direct impact of these pilot-testing exercises to the integration of gender issues in the design of a number of agricultural projects financed by the World Bank. There are also indications that the Sourcebook modules are being used in actual operations more widely. For example, some task team leaders were collaborating with the Sourcebook team on adopting the pilot-testing exercise to other land projects in the ECA region beyond Kosovo and Gaza; and similar interests have been expressed by a number of task team leaders on EAP and MNA regional operations.

OUTREACH AND CAPACITY-BUILDING: Wider outreach of the Sourcebook is a central activity being conducted by the three organizations along the lines of what was suggested during the March expert consultation. Translation of the book is considered critical to reach a wider audience and to expand user-base of the Sourcebook. The 8-page Executive Summary was translated into French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian.Translation of the whole book into Spanish has already been initiated in partnership with the Regional Unit for Technical Assistance (RUTA) in Costa Rica. As a part of the Spanish version of the Sourcebook, six new innovative activity profiles focusing on Latin America are being prepared through a competitive call for proposals coordinated by RUTA. In partnership with the Centre for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development for the Near East (CARDNE), IFAD is translating the Sourcebook into Arabic. Both the Spanish and Arabic versions are planned to be launched in February 2010. The three organizations are seeking assistance from the Gates Foundation and other donors for the potential French translation and to set up an electronic platform to provide an interactive clearinghouse of information on gender in agriculture, using and expanding the Sourcebook and building on the community of practice it created.

The three organizations are also working closely with Michigan State University, which is developing a distance learning product for African universities using the Sourcebook. The World Bank, FAO, and IFAD continue to maintain the technical advisory support and quality control of these derivative products from the Sourcebook.

Capacity development of women’s producer and water user organizations in two World Bank-financed operations in Zambia and Mali has been initiated with funding from Norwegian and Finnish governments (TFESSD Trust Fund). These initiatives aim to complement ongoing agricultural projects in the two African countries.

As an extension of the Policy and Governance module of the Sourcebook, a primary research project on gender and governance focusing on Ghana, Ethiopia and India was completed through funding from the Bank-Netherlands Partnership Program. A South-South learning event, capacity development and training at local public affairs training institutes were implemented as part of the project spring of 2009. The year 2010 will focus on technical workshops (at international and national levels), extensive dissemination and development of second-generation knowledge products, operationalization and policy dialogues. Published copies of the synthesis report of the research project will be available in December 2009 [for requests contact Sarian Akibo-Betts (sakibobetts@worldbank.org).

Inactive hide details for Thematic and Strategic EventsThematic and Strategic Events

The Sourcebook was featured in the following key events:

1. “Knowledge Share Fair for Agricultural Development and Food Security” (held in FAO, Rome on January 20-22, 2009). This three day knowledge sharing fair, organized by Biodiversity International, the CGIAR ICT-KM program, FAO, IFAD and WFP, provided an opportunity to showcase the Sourcebook as an example of a good knowledge sharing practice in the field of agricultural development and food security. Shifting the gaze from the contents of the Sourcebook to the process of producing it, the presentation and discussions focused on the inter-organizational partnership and collaboration the book generated.

2. “If Half the Insights, Then Half the Results: Harnessing the Potential of African Women in Agricultural Research and Development” (held in the Congressional Hunger Center, Hall of the States Building, Washington, DC on February 11, 2009). The Sourcebook was distributed and featured during the World Bank-IFPRI-IFAD joint BBL series #10 presented by Vicki Wilde (CGIAR Gender and Diversity Program). Ms. Wilde addressed questions and discussed the CGIAR’s innovative program to fast track the careers of African women in agricultural research and development (AWARD), supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID.

3. Roundtable on “Smallholder Agriculture and Food Security in the 21st Century” during the 32nd session of AD’s Governing Council (held in IFAD, Rome on February 18 2009). The Sourcebook was prominently displayed and featured in the roundtable. Several delegates came with requests from their ministries to bring back copies and CDs . Interest for copies in other languages (Spanish, French and Arabic) was high and unfortunately could not be met at that time.

4. “Global food crisis: Gender, food security and agriculture” during the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Meeting (held in UN, New York on March 3, 2009). This event was well attended bringing together about 70 representatives of NGOs and delegations from various countries, such as the Philippines, Pakistan, and South Africa. The panel discussed the gender impacts of the global food price crisis.

Marcela Villarreal (FAO) focused on the soaring food prices, as well as on the impact of the current food crisis. In this context, FAO proposed a twin track approach which consists of a social protection system, and enhanced food production, trade and better governance. Rui Benfica (World Bank) presented the Gender Action Plan which is based on the implementation of result-based initiatives and improvement of knowledge and statistics. WFP had identified 34 countries in need of urgent support according to Isatou Jallow (WFP). Maria Hartl (IFAD) introduced the Sourcebook and its various modules. She also informed about IFAD’s work on targeting the poor in rural areas.

5. “Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook: Strengthening the Quality and Impact of Gender Approaches in Agricultural Operations” a luncheon event during the World Bank’s ARD Week (held in the World Bank, Washington DC on March 5 2009). This 2-hour luncheon event was intended to discuss the status of gender integration in rural portfolio in the World Bank and present the updates on the Gender Action Plan and World Bank President Zoellick’s targets on gender in agriculture.

This well-attended session was chaired by Maria Correia (World Bank). Presentations were given by Mark Cackler (World Bank) and Adyline Waafas Ofosu-Amaah (World Bank). Panelists included Natalia Gomez (Latin America and the Caribbean region, World Bank) on opportunities and challenges in integrating gender approaches in rural operations in Latin America and the Caribbean; Victoria Stanley (Europe and Central Asia region, World Bank) on opportunities and challenges in integrating gender approaches in rural operations in Europe and Central Asia region; Tony Lamb (International Land Consultant) on challenges and experiences on the Sourcebook land module pilot-testing in Kosovo; and Josette Lewis (USAID) on gender mainstreaming at USAID.

6. “Women’s Access to Land Ownership: Legal Reform, Enforcement, and Empowerment” during the Conference on Land Governance in Support of the MDGs (held in the World Bank, Washington, DC on March 10, 2009). This 2-hour session was attended by about 40 land experts and senior government officials as participants of the land conference. The session chaired by Eija Pehu (World Bank) started with a presentation on issues and framework on relationships of gender, land ownership, and economic empowerment by Ruth Meinzen-Dick (IFPRI). Panelists included Renee Giovarelli (Rural Development Institute), Tony Lamb (International Legal Consultant), Ben Cousins (Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS)) and Annalisa Mauro (International Land Coalition)

7. “Gaps, trends and current research in gender dimensions of agricultural and rural employment: differentiated pathways out of poverty” during the FAO, IFAD and ILO three-day technical expert workshop (held in Rome on March 31 to April 2 2009). The workshop gathered 120 technical experts from all around the world to share their knowledge, questions, experiences and understanding of gender and employment in rural areas. The organizers aimed to gain more statistical data, field-based evidence and insights into the gender dimensions of agricultural and rural employment, in order to strengthen policy design. The Sourcebook was featured prominently as an important source of information and reference.
[http://www.fao-ilo.org/more/workshop/en/]

8. “Enforcing Women’s Property Rights in Common Law Africa” (held in IFPRI, Washington, DC on June 16, 2009). The Sourcebook was featured during the World Bank-IFPRI-IFAD joint BBL series #11 with presentation by Sandra Joireman, Wheaton College.

9. “Integrating Gender in Agricultural Programs”
during the USAID’s 2009 Summer Seminar Series (held in USAID, Washington, DC on July 29, 2009). This high-level seminar was attended by more than 100 staff from USAID and other organizations. Ruth Meinzen-Dick (IFPRI) started the session with an articulation of why strengthening women’s assets is important and presentation of some promising approaches on how agriculture can be made more gender equitable. Neinke Beintema (IFPRI) then presented on the findings of a recent study on the participation of women in African agriculture research and higher education. Panellists addressed the implications, challenges and opportunities in three key organizations with insights provided by Thomas Hobgood (USAID); Haven Ley (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation); and Catherine Ragasa (World Bank).

10. CAADP-related missions to NEPAD and COMESA (in South Africa and Zambia in May and August 2009). The Sourcebook was also discussed and distributed by Catherine Ragasa (World Bank) in a number of Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) support institutions including New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) Secretariat and Common Markets for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat. The Sourcebook was considered very useful in mobilizing technical support to CAADP-related reports and documents.

11. Regional workshop on “Gender equality and rural empowerment in Latin America and the Caribbean” organized by IFAD and FAO (held in El Salvador on August 24-28, 2009). Gender focal points and staff from 17 IFAD projects and FAO offices in the region attended. Participants found the Gender and Agriculture Sourcebook helpful and particularly recommended the M&E module to be used for identifying impact indicators. They also pointed out that project staff and partners should aim to develop or adapt their own tools to fit the cultural, social and economic context in which they operate.

Inactive hide details for Web VisitsWeb Visits
As of October 14, 2009, the website has had 6,201 unique visitors, peaking during the month of the book’s launch in October and then once more during March, when several gender-related activities, such as the International Expert Consultation on Gender in Agriculture, were undertaken. In addition, there were a number of emails from various organizations in several countries received requesting for information and/or a print or CD copy of the book.


The above graph is a monthly representation of unique visitors to the Gender in Agriculture website (www.worldbank.org/genderinag). Interest has clearly remained constant over the year that the Sourcebook has been available and the small spike in traffic in the lead-up to and follow-up of the Expert Consultation helps illuminate the overall effectiveness of such events in generating new interest in gender-related topics.



The website unique visits (represented by the map above) originate from numerous countries worldwide. About 30% of the unique visits to the website were from the US. Another 30% were from Italy, UK, India, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Kenya and Mexico. Major gaps in geographical outreach exist in Francophone countries in Africa, Arabic-speaking countries, Russian-speaking countries, and some parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Translations of the Sourcebook into these languages and effective dissemination strategies for these regions are critical to widening the audience and broadening the use of the Sourcebook.

(See attached file: Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook Updates #2 October 20 2009.pdf)

For more details, please contact anyone from the Sourcebook team: Eija Pehu (epehu@worldbank.org), Catherine Ragasa (cragasa@worldbank.org), John Mackedon (jmackedon@worldbank.org), Yianna Lambrou (yianna.lambrou@fao.org), Caroline Dookie (caroline.dookie@fao.org), Maria Hartl (m.hartl@ifad.org).

 





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