ASARECA Gender Policy2014–2018

Stimulating agricultural research for development

Association for Strengthening Agricultural Researchin Eastern and Central Africa

2014

Editorial: Yeshi Chiche and Adeline R Muheebwa

© 2014 Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa

Correct citation

ASARECA [Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa]. 2014. ASARECA Gender Policy, 2014–2018: Stimulating agricultural research for development. ASARECA, Entebbe.

Fair use policyThis publication may be reproduced with the intention of increasing its availability to those who need it. ASARECA encourages fair use of reproduced material. Proper citation is requested.

Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa(ASARECA)Plot 5, Mpigi RoadPO Box 765Entebbe, Ugandatel: +256 414 320212/320556/321885fax: +256 414 321126/322593email: asareca@asareca.orgwebsite: www.asareca.org

Editor: Anne Marie Nyamu, Editorial and Publishing Consultant, Nairobi, KenyaDesigner: Timothy Maleche, ImageMate, Nairobi, Kenya

ISBN: 978-9970-484-10-2

Barcode: 9789970484089

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Table of Contents

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Foreword............................................................................................................ vAbbreviations and acronyms.......................................................................... viii

Section 1: Background.................................................................................... 1

1.1 The ASARECA context................................................................... 1 1.2 The status of gender mainstreaming in the organisation.......... 2 1.3 The legal and policy context.......................................................... 2 1.4 Methodology for developing the Gender Policy......................... 3

Section 2: Situational analysis....................................................................... 5

2.1 Understanding of gender in the operations of ASARECA................ 52.2 Procedures and mechanisms for gender mainstreaming in the organisation................................................................................... 62.3 Institutional Machinery for gender mainstreaming........................... 62.4 Gender concerns in Human Resource.................................................. 6

Section 3: ASARECA Gender Policy............................................................ 9

3.1 Goal............................................................................................................ 93.2 Purpose...................................................................................................... 93.3 Objectives.................................................................................................. 93.4 Principles informing this policy............................................................. 10 3.4.1 Gender equality............................................................................ 10 3.4.2 Intra-household power relations.............................................. 10 3.4.3 Gender, women, youth empowerment and targeting................................................................................ 10 3.4.4 Alignment with existing national and institutional gender policies...................................................... 113.5 Policy statement and strategies............................................................. 11 3.5.1 The Policy Statement.................................................................. 11 3.5.2 The policy strategies................................................................... 113.6 The policy priority action areas ............................................................ 11

Section 4: Entry points and opportunities for policy implementation................................................................................................ 13

4.1 At the Secretariat...................................................................................... 134.2 National agricultural research institutes (NARIs)............................ 14

4.3 ASARECA project implementers and other partners....................... 14

Section 5: Way forward.................................................................................. 15

Annex 1. Implementation and monitoring framework............................. 17Annex 2. References....................................................................................... 19Annex 3. Bibliography.................................................................................... 27

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ForewordThe Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) is a not-for-profit sub-regional organisation (SRO) that serves as a forum for promoting agricultural research and strengthening relations between national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES), and the international agricultural research systems (IARS). ASARECA was formally established in 1994 by the directors of the national agricultural research institutes (NARIs) of the 10 countries of the Eastern and Central Africa sub-region, namely: Institute de Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi (ISABU), Burundi; Institute National pour l’Etude et la Recherche Agronomiques (INERA), Democratic Republic of Congo; National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Eritrea; Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Ethiopia; Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI, now KALRO (Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organisation), Kenya; Foibem-pirenenamombany Fikarohanaampiharinaamin’ny Famp and rosoananyeny Ambanivohitra (Le Centre National de Recherche Appliqué au Développement Rural (FOFIFA), Madagascar; ISAR (Institut des Sciences Agronomique du Rwanda), Rwanda; Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC), Sudan; DRD (Department of Research and Development), Tanzania; and National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Uganda. Subsequently the Ministry of Agriculture of South Sudan joined ASARECA in December 2011, to bring the number of member countries to 11.

The ASARECA mission is to enhance regional collective action in agricultural research for development, extension and agricultural training and education to promote economic growth, fight poverty, eradicate hunger and enhance sustainable use of resources in Eastern and Central Africa (ECA). The organisation’s goal is: “to contribute to enhanced sustainable productivity, value addition and competitiveness of the sub-regional agricultural system.”

In 2007, ASARECA developed a strategy (2007–2016) that outlines the direction and priorities for agricultural development in the region in the context of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Gender has been recognised as one of the key drivers in agricultural research

ASARECA was formally established in 1994 by the directors of the national agricultural research institutes (NARIs) of the 10 countries of the Eastern and Central Africa sub-region.

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for development. Previous efforts indicate that ASARECA has made significant progress in promoting gender since early 2000 by encouraging gender disaggregated data collection and capacity building. Subsequently, between 2001 and 2004 the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) was supporting initiatives on gender responsive approaches, designing methodologies and tools that would facilitate gender analysis to consider gender factors in agricultural research; this attracted and further produced system wide initiatives of participatory research and gender analysis (PR&GA) which supported capacity building and gender audit in the different ASARECA member countries. This has set the foundation for promotion of gender mainstreaming in ASARECA. Gender mainstreaming is therefore considered the approach to integrating strategies and actions addressing inequalities in all planned actions in the institute. ASARECA has developed a gender mainstreaming strategy (2011–2015) to guide the systematic integration of gender into programmes and processes.

As a result of implementing the gender mainstreaming strategy, the Gender Mainstreaming Unit was established in 2013 as one of the support units in ASARECA, providing technical backstopping and guiding the way gender is addressed in the organisation, NARIs and ASARECA partners. One of the priority focus areas of the Unit was the development of a gender policy. The gender policy was developed to provide a coherent and holistic implementation mechanism with the overall goal being the achievement of gender equality in agricultural research for development in ECA. The Gender Policy will also help establish a clear framework for the transformation of institutional practices in the research process and systems to achieve gender equality amongst the ASARECA member countries and partners.

This Gender Policy, developed through the gender audit conducted from July to October 2013, conforms with the regional and global obligations on gender equality and women’s empowerment to which ASARECA is committed. These regional and global obligations on gender equality include the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Gender Policy (May 2002), the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa (July 2003) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

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This gender policy will be implemented within the institutional framework of ASARECA. The Gender Mainstreaming Unit guides implementation of the policy with support from the Management and Programme staff of NARIs and the Secretariat.

Finally, this Gender Policy will serve as a guide and create an enabling environment for promoting gender equality in member countries and other partners in agricultural research to address agricultural development challenges related to reduced productivity, food insecurity and poverty.This policy document is a result of the effort and contribution of many partners. Our appreciation and great thanks to all those who contributed to drafting, reviewing, editing, refining and validating the document to achieve gender equality in agricultural research for development.

Dr FinaOpioExecutive Director, ASARECA

Abbreviations and acronyms ANFP ASARECA National Focal PersonASARECA Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central AfricaARC Agricultural Research Corporation, SudanCAADP Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development ProgrammeCEDAW Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against WomenCOMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern AfricaCGIAR Consultative Group for International Agricultural ResearchEAAPP East African Agricultural Productivity Programme EAC East African CommunityEIAR Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research FAAP Framework for African Agricultural ProductivityFARA Forum for Agricultural Research in AfricaFOFIFA Foibem-pirenenamombany Fikarohanaampiharinaam in’ny Fampandrosoananyeny Ambanivohitra (Le Centre National de Recherche Appliquée au Développement RuralGAD Gender and developmentGM Gender mainstreamingGMU Gender Mainstreaming UnitIDRC International Development Research Centre, CanadaIGAD Intergovernmental Authority on DevelopmentISABU Institute de Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi INERA Institute National pour l’ Etude et la Recherche AgronomiquesKARI Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (now Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organisation, KALRO)MDG Millennium Development GoalNARES National agricultural research and extension systemsNARI National Agricultural Research Institute, EritreaNARO National Agricultural Research Organisation, UgandaNEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s DevelopmentNGO Non-governmental organisation

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OP Operational PlanPR&GA Participatory research and gender analysisRAB Rwanda Agriculture BoardREC Regional economic communityRGWG Regional Gender Working GroupSRO Sub-regional organisation

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Section 1: Background

1.1 The ASARECA context

The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) is a non-profit sub-regional agricultural research and development organisation, which has been in existence since 1994.The organisation covers Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The ASARECA vision is to be a regional leader in agricultural research and development for improved livelihoods in Eastern and Central Africa and its mission is to enhance regional collective action in agricultural research for development, extension and agricultural training and education to promote economic growth, fight poverty, eradicate hunger and enhance sustainable use of resources in Eastern and Central Africa (ECA).

ASARECA activities are guided by its operational plans (OP1: 2008–2013 and OP2: 2014–2018) and its goal is: “to contribute to enhanced sustainable productivity, value addition and competitiveness of the sub-regional

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agricultural system.” The major aim of ASARECA is to contribute to enhanced utilisation of agricultural research and development innovations in Eastern and Central Africa.

ASARECA has three themes: Natural Resource Management and Eco-System Services; Market, Market Linkages & Trade; and Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security. These are implemented through eight programmes and seven support units. The programmes are: Staple Crops; High Value Non-Staple Crops; Livestock and Fisheries; Agro-Biodiversity and Biotechnology; Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity; Policy Analysis and Advocacy; Knowledge Management and Upscaling; and the East African Agricultural Productivity Programme (EAAPP). The units are: Communication and Public Relations; Information, Communication and Technology; Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning; Partnership and Capacity Development; Gender Mainstreaming; Finance; and Human Resource and Administration.

1.2 The status of gender mainstreaming in the organisationASARECA is committed to advancing gender equality in the development of appropriate technologies and management practices. Gender mainstreaming is seen as one of the core functions of the Secretariat and focuses on building commitment for gender to be addressed and mainstreamed in the institutional structures and functions of ASARECA.

Within the aforementioned context, gender mainstreaming is considered as one of the cross-cutting functions that is central to good governance and addressing all gender concerns in the regional agricultural research for development agenda. To operationalise the gender mainstreaming function, ASARECA has developed a gender policy whose goal is to achieve gender equality in agricultural research for development in ECA.The gender policy was developed through a participatory process, following a comprehensive gender audit that was conducted from July to December 2013, by taking into account lessons from implementation of the ASARECA Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Plan (2011–2015) and other gender focused interventions. The policy provides conceptual and methodological guidance for effective implementation of gender mainstreaming in the programmes and functions of ASARECA.

1.3 The legal and policy contextThe ASARECA Constitution provides the overall legal framework for the ASARECA Gender Policy. It recognises the different categories of stakeholders, with major emphasis on women and youth working in agriculture based enterprises. The governance manual which guides the management of the affairs of the Association has equity (among other core values) of the members of the Board of Directors and clearly states that the

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Board shall set and enforce clear lines of responsibility and accountability throughout the Association by treating all members equally and fairly, among others. Similarly, the ASARECA Operational Manual (OM) and Operational Plan 2 (OP2) (2014–2018) provide guidance to the management and research operations respectively. These documents have cited gender one of the pre-conditions to achieving ASARECA’s goal through promotion of gender equality in management practices and agricultural research processes.

This ASARECA Gender Policy conforms with the national, regional and global obligations on gender equality and women’s empowerment to which ASARECA is committed. Some of these obligations are:

• At the national level—the National Gender Policy of the Republic of Uganda (2007) and Gender Policy of the Republic of Kenya (2011).

• At the regional level—The East African Community (EAC) Treaty (2000), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Gender Policy (May 2002), The Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa (July 2003), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Gender Policy and Strategy (July 2004), Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (2004) and the Maputo Declaration (July 2003), especially on women.

• At the global level—The Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW 1979) and its Optional Protocol (adapted October 1999 entered into force December 2000), The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), The Commonwealth Plan of Action on Gender and Development, Advancing the Commonwealth Agenda into the New millennium (2005–2010), The Millennium Declaration as a renewed commitment to human development and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

1.4 Methodology for developing the gender policyThe gender policy was developed based on the findings of the gender audit conducted from July to October 2013. The approach used by the audit included primary and secondary data collection methods that comprised online surveys, key informant interviews, desk reviews and field visits to selected member countries. The findings were further reviewed and validated by the gender focal persons from the 11 member countries, key stakeholders and other partners. The Secretariat staff reviewed the draft policy to align it with the ultimate goal and functions of ASARECA. Apanel of gender experts further reviewed the document to improve its standard and content. The output of this process was the final draft of the Gender Policy and Action Plan.

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Section 2: Situational analysis

2.1 Understanding of gender in the operations of ASARECA

Key findings of the gender audit revealed that:

• Overall, there is appreciation of the relevance of gender in addressing priorities in agricultural technology needs for all farmers (men and women), as accepted criteria of development for agricultural research both at the Secretariat and in national agricultural research institutes (NARIs).

• There is political commitment to make gender a core part of programming in ASARECA. For example, ASARECA OP2 mentions gender as one of the determining factors for achieving targeted results.

• Despite consensus on the importance of gender mainstreaming in agricultural research, there is still a gap in understanding the general concept of gender and how to integrate it in specific areas of agricultural research for development activities.

• The social environment within which farmers operate is not adequately addressed in designing, generating and disseminating interventions, and there is a need to address the exclusion and unfavourable inclusion that social structure imposes on the various categories of farmers’ identities based on sex, age, disability, marital and economic status, ethnicity, etc., which play a central role in determining farmers’ access to and control of agricultural resources.

2.2 Procedures and mechanisms for gender mainstreaming in the organisationAt the ASARECA Secretariat level, the procedure for gender mainstreaming is clearly stated in the strategic documents of the organisation. It is also a requirement that projects have to be reviewed by the Gender Unit to guide and support programme implementation. However, there is need for a systematic and harmonised approach to defining the impact of gender integration amongst the beneficiaries.

2.3 Institutional machinery for gender mainstreamingA Gender Mainstreaming Unit (GMU) is now in place, and all NARIs have gender focal persons responsible for gender mainstreaming activities. The role of the focal persons is to build capacity, collaborate and strategically coordinate through joint planning initiatives and implementation of regional research activities related to gender. With the support of the Secretariat GMU, the role and mandate of focal persons at NARIs needs to be institutionalised.

2.4 Gender concerns in human resourceThe gender audit showed a gender imbalance in addressing employment and diversity in NARIs and at the ASARECA Secretariat. One of the findings of the audit was an imbalance in male and female employment in NARIs. In many cases there are more men than women in management positions. Further observations revealed that very few deserving young scientists are in leadership positions. The gender audit therefore recommended: increased efforts to prioritise fair representation of women at all levels, and concerted efforts to place young professionals in positions where they can gain experience in leadership. The gender audit also found that with regard to gender and diversity, there is unfair representation of regional staff from

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member countries at the Secretariat. Thus, the Secretariat must make efforts to encourage the participation of less represented countries. ASARECA must therefore continuously review its Human Resource policies to cast a wider net, bringing more women and young scientists into leadership positions, and staff from less represented countries into the Secretariat.To address the concerns of gender imbalance and diversity at the Secretariat, the Board of Directors together with the Management has developed policy guidelines that promote inclusion such as tenure of service of not more than 10 years, recognition of least represented countries during recruitment and selection processes, affirmative action in the event that the male and female candidates score the same; in such a case priority would be given to the female or someone from the less represented member country. The institution will continue to review the policies to reflect the realities of the changing work environment.

ASARECA will design procedures and mechanisms that promote gender equality using innovative ways such as the use of an incentive and award system, modifying the formats of performance appraisal and developing plans integrating gender as one of the major criteria for promotion.

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A Gender Mainstreaming Unit (GMU) is now in place, and all NARIs have gender focal

persons responsible for gender mainstreaming activities.

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Section 3: ASARECA Gender Policy

3.1 GoalThe goal of the ASARECA Gender Policy is to achieve gender equality in agricultural research and development innovations in order to enhance sustainable productivity, value addition and competitiveness of the sub-regional agricultural system and interventions with strong commitment for equity and increased opportunity.

3.2 PurposeThe purpose of the Gender Policy is to establish a clear framework for the transformation of institutional practices, the research processes and systems to achieve gender equality within and amongst the ASARECA member countries and partners.

3.3 ObjectivesThe main objective of the policy is to guide the processes of gender mainstreaming for the ASARECA Secretariat, NARIs and partners, in carrying out their activities to meet the organisational goal and objectives of gender mainstreaming.

The policy will also augment the mainstreaming of gender equality in ASARECA activities and organisational practices of the Secretariat and the work of NARIs. The policy will provide both the direction and the means for achieving the goal of gender mainstreaming as stated in the following sections.

Policy objectives are to:

1. Establish and strengthen the institutional mechanisms for effective and efficient implementation of gender mainstreaming in the ECA region for agricultural transformation and development.

2. Strengthen the GMU to effectively and efficiently coordinate the gender mainstreaming processes in order to improve efficiency and results of interventions in agricultural research for development in ECA.

3. Strengthen and facilitate the NARIs to achieve gender equality within the socio-economic differentiation for enhanced sustainable productivity, value addition and competitiveness of the national and sub-regional agricultural system.

4. Facilitate tracking of gender responsiveness of ASARECA interventions in the region.

3.4 Principles informing this policy

3.4.1 Gender equalityMen and women are entitled to equal rights, dignity and opportunity in economic, social and political life. Gender equality emphasises both equality of opportunity and outcomes. Gender equality is a guiding principle both in the work of the ASARECA Secretariat and its members in all aspects of organisational structure, operations and practices.

3.4.2 Intra-household power relationsResearch interventions will be informed by the understanding of intra-household power relations and the inequalities that determine individual member participation and benefit.

3.4.3 Gender, women and youth empowerment and targetingPromotion of gender equality and empowerment requires mainstreaming, focusing and targeting. Gender mainstreaming is not an end in itself, but a

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means to an end. It requires the use of the gender and development (GAD) approach and appropriate tools to ensure its integration throughout the project cycle in development initiatives. The policy will encourage targeted and focused activities towards the empowerment of youth, women, men and vulnerable groups.

3.4.4 Alignment with existing national and institutional gender policiesThis policy will be aligned with the existing national and institutional gender policies and instruments of the member countries, and the governance manual and constitution of ASARECA.

3.5 Policy statement and strategies

3.5.1 The policy statement

ASARECA shall use all appropriate means to ensure that gender is mainstreamed across agricultural research and development initiatives at the Secretariat, member countries and among collaborating partners for improved livelihoods, sustainable and equitable use of resources in Eastern and Central Africa.

3.5.2 The policy strategies

The policy objectives shall be achieved through the following strategies:

• Awareness creation for increased commitment and accountability

• Institutional capacity development for the establishment of a gender critical mass, a network of gender experts and gender champions in integrating gender

• Capacity development for targeted partners in building knowledge and skills in gender analysis and reporting

• Generating and use of gender disaggregated data for gender mapping and making informed decisions

• Policy dissemination and communication for implementation

• Stakeholder dialogue and participation for information sharing

• Tracking gender responsiveness to research for development initiatives in ASARECA

3.6 The policy priority action areasSelection of priority areas for gender mainstreaming was based on lessons learnt from review of ASARECA initiatives on gender mainstreaming since 2001. The first gender initiatives were implemented between 2001 and

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2004, followed by the second phase, 2004–2007. The latest initiative is the development of the Gender Mainstreaming Action Strategic Plan 2011–2015.

ASARECA has implemented commendable actions that were recommended in the Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Plan 2011–2015 by establishing a gender unit and developing this Gender Policy to guide the gender mainstreaming process. In addition, a comprehensive gender audit was conducted in July to October 2013. However, to realise coherent gender mainstreaming at different levels and to develop gender responsive plans, documents and research outputs, it is imperative that appropriate and effective institutional mechanisms are developed, especially to support NARIs and other implementing partners.

Based on a synthesis of all these information, the following priorities were selected for policy action:

1. Establish and strengthen the institutional mechanisms for gender mainstreaming at the Secretariat and in the NARIs.

2. Strengthen and facilitate the integration of gender and gender mainstreaming at all operational and related interventions of NARIs.

3. Strengthen the GMU to effectively and efficiently coordinate the gender mainstreaming processes.

4. Facilitate the integration and tracking of gender responsiveness of ASARECA research for development interventions in the ECA region.

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actions that were recommended in the Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Plan 2011–2015 by establishing a gender unit and developing this Gender Policy to guide the gender mainstreaming process.

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Section 4: Entry points and opportunities for policy implementation

4.1 At the Secretariat• The operational manual is in the process of approval. The operational

manual should be aligned to the policy. This can take the form of addendums and/or policy brief as the operational manual is being disseminated.

• Liaise with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Unit (M&EL) to enrich the template for developing work plans in order to incorporate gender specific/focused/responsive intervention with gender disaggregated information.

• Enrich the reporting criteria for annual progress reports to capture performance of gender mainstreaming within the programmes and units at the Secretariat.

• Liaise with the Human Resource department to enrich the template for staff performance appraisal to assess progress made in attaining gender mainstreaming.

• Influence the agenda of the planning and implementation process to ensure that there is sufficient budget allocation for gender mainstreaming in programmes and units.

• Utilise the General Assembly to popularise, advocate and lobby for gender mainstreaming and implementation of the ASARECA gender policy.

4.2 National agricultural research institutes• Liaise with the ASARECA national focal persons (ANFPs) and

monitoring and evaluation (M&E) units of NARIs through the gender focal persons (GFPs) to enrich the template for developing work plans to incorporate gender specific/focused/responsive research.

• Enrich the reporting criteria for periodic reports (annual, progress etc.) to capture performance of gender mainstreaming within the programmes of NARIs.

• Liaise with the Human Resource departments of NARIs through the GFPs to enrich the template for staff performance appraisal in order to assess progress made in attaining gender mainstreaming.

• Tailor existing data collection analysis and reporting systems to reflect gender relevance.

4.3 ASARECA project implementers and other partners• Build capacity of project implementers to increase knowledge and skills

in gender mainstreaming.

• Establish gendermainstreaming plans of action with project implementers for project implementation, monitoring and evaluation of activities.

• Facilitate the sharing of experiences on gender mainstreaming amongst the project implementers through networking.

• Enhance knowledge and information sharing and utilisation on gendermainstreaming initiatives with other partners.

• Identify and create a collective working environment with development partners for effective and sustained gender mainstreaming in transforming agriculture in the context of poverty alleviation, food and nutrition security.

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Section 5: Way forward

Gender mainstreaming in agricultural research will pursue gender responsiveness and targeted gender focused interventions in all agricultural research for development initiatives and in the governance of ASARECA.The ASARECA Secretariat will continue supporting NARIs to mainstream gender at all levels. The policy document will be shared with the member countries and other partners in agricultural research implementing ASARECA projects for its implementation aligned to their existing country contexts and realities. Although the policy time frame is five years (2014–2018), it will be flexible to specific country feedback and responses for revision.

The ASARECA Gender Policy provides a framework within which the interventions will work towards the goal of gender equality. The implementation process will be a collaborative effort between all the implementers at the Secretariat, the NARIs and partners. A mid-term evaluation of the policy will be carried out during implementation and expost evaluations will be conducted as appropriate.

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Annex 1. Implementation and monitoring framework

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Annex 2. Glossary of gender terms and definitions

SexSex refers to the biological characteristics that define humans as female or male and with which they are born.

Gender Gender is a social construction of masculine and feminine identities that determine the relations between males and females and their entitlements in society. Gender determines roles and responsibilities, attitudes, behaviours, values, power and status that a particular society assigns to men or women.Gender also interacts with other identities based on age, disability, marital status, economic status, ethnicity etc. to further influence relations between males and females and their entitlements in society etc. Gender is a learned behaviour and can be unlearned hence does change over time and space.

Gender equality Gender equality refers to the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys. Equality does not mean that women and men will become the same but that women’s and men’s rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female. Gender equality implies that the interests, needs and priorities of both women and men are taken into consideration, recognising the diversity of different groups of women and men. Gender equality is not a women’s issue but should concern and fully engage men as well as women. Equality between women and men is seen both as a human rights issue and as a precondition for, and indicator of, sustainable people-centred development.

Gender equity Gender equity means fairness of treatment and justice for women and men, according to their respective needs. This may include equal treatment for women and men but often women and men need to receive different treatment in order to receive the same benefits and experience their rights. In the development context, gender equity often requires built-in measures to compensate for the historical and social disadvantages of women (such as restrictions on mobility or access to education) or may mean projects targeted to women only (see gender specific under gender aware).

Gender needsGender needs are the specific needs of women and men that result from the gender division of labour as well as the subordinate position of women compared to men.Gender needs can be thought of in terms of practical gender needs and strategic gender interests.

• Practical gender needs(PGNs) are related to the physical needs of both women/girls and men/boys (for example, need for food, water, shelter) and their respective roles in satisfying these needs. A PGN for women would be to lessen their time and labour providing fuel and water. In another example, both women and men are involved in livestock but take care of different types of animals and have different responsibilities; hence they have different PGNs concerning livestock.

• Strategic gender interests (SGIs) are related to relative position of women/girls and men/boys in society and result from women’s subordinate position and men’s privilege. Addressing SGIs for women improves relative position of women to men. For example, a SGI for women is freedom of movement or women being able to take decisions..

Condition and positionCondition refers to people’s material state and immediate environment. This usually includes the extent to which basic needs are met and refers to daily routine. Position, however, refers to women’s economic, social and political standing relative to men. Most development policies and programmes attempt to address women’s/girls’ condition but not their position in society.

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Equality of outcomeEquality of outcome is the focus on women and men enjoying the same benefits. It challenges the idea of “equal opportunity” because even though women and men may be given the same opportunity (equal opportunity) to access a resource (such as agriculture technology), they have different advantages and face different constraints that limit their chances to take advantage of the opportunity. By emphasising “equality of outcome”, the focus is on the actual results of projects, not just the provision of inputs, and what measures need to be in place so women and men enjoy the same benefits. See related concepts of Access and Control of Resources and Benefits, Opportunities and Constraints and Gender Equity.

EmpowermentEmpowerment refers both to a process and a goal. As a process, empowerment is about people, who have been denied power, gaining power, in particular being able to make strategic choices about their lives. In order for women, or other marginalised groups, to gain the power to make choices about their lives, they need to access and control resources, and be able to use those resources to achieve the life they value. Having that ability requires internal resources, such as self-confidence and a belief that change is possible, which is often encouraged through a process of consciousness raising, and removal of external constraints to action. To create sustainable change an empowerment process must therefore change people’s self-perception, their control over their lives and their material environments.

Gender analysisGender analysis is social analysis that distinguishes the resources, activities, potentials and constraints of women/girls relative to men/boys in a given socio-economic group and context. It requires the collection of sex-disaggregated data and analyzing this information using the gender analysis concepts included in this glossary: gender division of labour, gender needs, access and control of resources and benefits and constraints and opportunities.

What is important to remember and why the concept is helpful

• Gender analysis helps understand a particular development problem in a more comprehensive and precise way.

Gender mainstreaming Gender mainstreaming is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, research, policies or programmes, in any area and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and social spheres, such that inequality between men and women is not perpetuated.

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Gender mainstreaming principlesGender mainstreaming means:

• Forging and strengthening the political will to achieve gender equality and equity, atthe local, national, regional and global levels

• Integrating a gender perspective into all phases of project cycle including livelihood analysis, design, appraisal, implementation, monitoring and evaluation

• Using sex/gender disaggregated data in statistical analysis to reveal how development interventions impact differently on women and men

• Developing gender responsive and gender focused innovative interventions

• Providing tools and training in gender awareness, gender analysis and gender planning to decision-makers, senior managers and other key personnel

• Building links between governments, the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to ensure a better use of resources

• Transforming grassroots society for gender equality

Gender-neutral, gender-sensitive and gender transformative The primary objective behind gender mainstreaming is to design and implement development projects, programmes and policies that:

• do not reinforce existing gender inequalities (gender neutral)

• attempt to redress existing gender inequalities (gender sensitive)

• attempt to re-define women and men’s gender roles and relations (gender positive/transformative)

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The degree of integration of a gender perspective in any given project can be seen as a continuum: Gender negative

Gender neutral

Gender sensitive

Gender positive

Gender transforma-tive

Gender inequali-ties are reinforced to achieve desired de-velopment outcomes

Uses gen-der norms, roles and stereo-types that reinforce gender inequalities

Gender is not con-sidered relevant to development outcome

Gender norms, roles and rela-tions are not affected (worsened or improved)

Gender is a means to reach set develop-ment goals

Address-ing gender norms, roles and access to resources in so far as needed to reach pro-ject goals

Gender is central to achieving positive de-velopment outcomes

Chang-ing gender norms, roles and access to resources a key component of project outcomes

Gender is central to promoting gender equal-ity and achiev-ing positive development outcomes

Transforming unequal gen-der relations to promote shared power, control of resources, de-cision-making, and support for women’s empowerment

Gender awareGender aware is a term to describe a project that identifies and addresses the different gender needs of women and men. A gender aware project can be considered:

• Genderneutral when it accurately assesses the existing gender division of labour and takes this into account. For example, a gender neutral livestock project recognises both men’s and women’s different livestock roles; it provides resources and uses approaches that benefit both women and men in their current roles. Gender neutral projects work within the existing gender division of labour, and improve women’s and men’s condition, but do not aim to improve the position of women in society.

• Gender specific when it targets and benefits women. For example, a gender specific livestock project would target women only and address their particular needs as livestock farmers, such as increasing the number of female extension workers or veterinarians so that women livestock farmers can receive the information and assistance they need to improve their productivity. A gender specific project could also target men in order to benefit women as well as men. For example, a project with the goal of increasing opportunities for women to work in non-traditional occupations might target men in the community, male workers

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and employers in order to build their awareness of the importance of employment opportunities for women, address discriminatory attitudes, and develop policies to create safe and respectful working environments.

• Gender transformative when the aim is to transform gender relations to be more equitable. For example, a gender transformatory project would aim to empower women livestock farmers and increase their access to and control of higher value livestock activities.

In contrast, gender unaware projects do not specifically identify and address the different gender needs of women and men. As a result, they address only men’s needs, interests and priorities and reinforce the subordination of women.

Gender division of labourGender Division of Labourdescribes the different roles, responsibilities and activities assigned to men and women according to what society considers appropriate. The roles women and men undertake can be thought of in terms of

• Productive work: tasks and activities that involve the production of goods and services that usually can be exchanged for cash or kind. Both men and women engage in productive work, but women’s productive work is usually undervalued, often invisible and less diverse than men’s due to socio-cultural constraints.

• Reproductive work: tasks and activities carried out to reproduce and care for children and the household. These include child birth, child rearing and family planning, food preparation, water and fuel collection, shopping, housekeeping and family health care.

Women in developmentWomen in development (WID) projects were an outcome of the realisation that women’s contributions were being ignored and that this was leading to the failure of many development efforts. WID projects were developed to involve women as participants and beneficiaries of development aid and initiatives.

Gender and developmentThe gender and development (GAD) approach was developed as a response to the failure of WID projects to effect qualitative and long-lasting changes in women’s social status. GAD focuses on social, economic, political and cultural forces that determine how men and women participate in, benefit from, and control project resources and activities differently. This approach shifts the focus from women as a group to the socially determined relations between women and men.

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Access and control of resources and benefitsAccess is the opportunity to use something. Control is being able to define and impose its use.

Resources include time, information, educational opportunities, decision-making (bargaining power), income, other economic resources, health and well-being, mobility, social networks and access to collective organisation as well as internal resources such as self-esteem and confidence.

Benefits are the result of the use of a resource and include income, asset ownership, knowledge and status. For example, education, health, mobility and social networks are all resources that can help to secure paid employment; income, skills and social status are benefits gained through employment.

Because of women and men’s different roles and, more importantly, differences in position, they have different access to resources (for example, credit) and the benefits derived from that resource (for example, income).This difference is mainly due to who has control over resources and benefits. When considering how women and men are supposed to benefit from development initiatives, it is critical to look at how they are accessing project resources as well as who is controlling their use.

Often, development initiatives focus on access to resources (for example, getting more women to participate in self-help group for farmers) but not who is controlling this access (for example, the executive committee of the group who are likely men) as well as who has access to the benefits resulting from these groups (for example, who gets what from participating in the self-help group, whose status and opportunities are increased from being on the executive committee).

What is important to remember and why the concept is helpful

• Women and men have different opportunities and constraints to accessing project resources. A project may be intended to provide resources for both women and men, but their relative disadvantages and advantages mean they will access these resources differently. Measures need to be taken to ensure both women and men actually access project resources, such as putting both women and men in charge of controlling them.

• Just because both women and men are accessing project resources (for example, training), it does not automatically follow that both will benefit the same from the opportunity. Men’s and women’s relative disadvantages and advantages means men will generally be able to use the opportunity to a greater extent and benefit more. Measures need to be taken to ensure both women and men actually benefit the same from accessing project resources (equality of outcome).

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Opportunities and constraintsWomen and men experience opportunities that allow them to access and benefit from projects as well as different constraints. In many countries, men generally enjoy more advantages and privileges, such as freedom of travel and education, than women. As well, women face particular socio-cultural constraints that men do not face, for example they have more restrictions on social interaction. The difference in opportunities and constraints for men and women, affects how they experience a particular development problem and how they are able to access a project that is supposed to address that problem.

What is important to remember and why the concept is helpful

• Women’s and men’s different opportunities and constraints need to be identified to fully understand a development problem and to formulate projects that both women and men can access

• Identification of opportunities for women provides suggestions for strategies to allow women to benefit equally as men from projects.

Gender disaggregated dataGender disaggregated data is collected and recorded on the basis of women/girls and men/boys. It also refers to collecting data on issues that allow monitoring and evaluation of gender issues relevant to the project.For example, enrolment data for training should be collected for both women and men but data on drop-out, completion and tracer data of use of knowledge and skills from training after completion should also be collected, by sex, to understand who actually benefits from training.

Social relations of genderSocial relations of gender refer to specific forms of power relations between men and women in a given society. These relations are socially constructed and historically and context specific. They change over time and are not a result of biology. Gender relations are notnecessarily either entirely harmonious or conflictual.

Note: For other concepts please refer to the ASARECA Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Plan 2011–2015

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The difference in opportunities and constraints for men and women, affects how they experience a particular development problem and how they are able to access a project that is supposed to address that problem.

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Annex 3. Bibliography

ASARECA [Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa]. 2013. ASARECA Operational Plan 2, 2014–2018: Supporting the reduction of poverty and the improvement of food security and nutrition in Eastern and Central Africa. ASARECA, Entebbe, Uganda.

ASARECA [Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa]. ASARECA Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Plan (2011 – 2015): Together we can find solutions for improved livelihood and sustainable agriculture.

ASARECA [Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa]. ASARECA Operational Manual 2009, Revised and approved June 2012

FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations]. 2011.The state of food and agriculture 2019–2011. Women in agriculture: Closing the gender gap for development. FAO, Rome, Italy.

Gurung B, Sendiwala E and Waithaka M (eds). 2011. Influencing change: Mainstreaming gender perspectives in agriculturalresearch and development in Eastern and Central Africa. International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali, Colombia; and Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa(ASARECA), Entebbe, Uganda.

Sakyi-Dawson O, Freeman CKY, Tambi E and Odularu G. 2012. Tools and strategies for designing gender-sensitive policies for linking smallholder agricultural producers to regional markets. Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Accra, Ghana.

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/pdf/factsheet2.pdf

ASARECA [Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa]. ASARECA Annual Report 2012: Transforming agriculture for economic growth in Eastern and Central Africa. ASARECA, Entebbe, Uganda; 2013.

Meinzen-Dick R, Quisumbing A, Behrmann J, Biermayr-Jenzano P, Wilde V, Noordeloos M, Ragasa C and Beintema N. 2011. Engendering agricultural research, development and extension. IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute), Washington, DC.

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Association for Strengthening AgriculturalResearch in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA)Plot 5, Mpigi Road,PO Box 765, Entebbe (Uganda)Tel: +256 414 320 212/320 556/321 885Fax: +256 414 321 126/322 593Email: asareca@asareca.orgWebsite:www.asareca.org 9 7 8 9 9 7 0 4 8 4 0 1 09 7 8 9 9 7 0 4 8 4 0 2 79 7 8 9 9 7 0 4 8 4 0 3 49 7 8 9 9 7 0 4 8 4 0 4 19 7 8 9 9 7 0 4 8 4 0 5 89 7 8 9 9 7 0 4 8 4 0 6 59 7 8 9 9 7 0 4 8 4 0 7 29 7 8 9 9 7 0 4 8 4 0 8 9

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