During its virtual 2022 third quarter meeting on 16 September, the IITA Gender Science Network (GSN) highlighted some of the gender research activities that network members have carried out in the past couple of months. Members tracked progress and exchanged new ideas for better gender integration into the work that members do in the Institute.
IITA Gender Specialist and GSN Coordinator, Steven Cole, talked about major events happening within the One CGIAR. He highlighted that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation made their support official for the first business cycle of the Harnessing Equality for Resilience in the Agrifood System (HER+) project—a gender and social inclusion initiative. He explained how this gives confidence that other potential donors will come in. Cole also stated that many gender researchers are now being hired across different centers, including IITA.
Insect Ecologist Tamo Manuele spoke on his involvement in the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for legume system research. He also mentioned that he is supervising a PhD student whose work focuses on social, economic adoption, gender, and impact studies. Africa RISING East and Southern Africa (ESA) Project Economist, Julius Manda, spoke about the Sustainable Intensification of Mixed Farming Systems (SIMFS) initiative, stating that it is firmly gender-focused and looks more into gender transformative approaches.
Agricultural Economist Shiferaw Feleke highlighted the mixed methods project he and Cole are working on in collaboration with other partners from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the University of Dar es Salaam. He stated that the team is currently assisting the African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) project to analyze data collected on gender differences in the production system, market access, commercial orientation, and uptake and use of AKILIMO stores in Tanzania and Nigeria. Gender Intern Tanaka Zimbiti shared her work with Agricultural Economist (Foresight Modeler) Sika Gbegbelegbe and the Malawian team on a systematic literature review on the gender aspect of banana consumer and producer preferences. “The team is also organizing a gender-responsive redo training from 21 to 23 September,” she said.
IITA Gender Communication Specialist, Ochuwa Favour Daramola, mentioned that the Gender Talk Show would soon be back to promote gender work on Radio IITA and IITA TV. She also asked participants to share their reports so that their activities could get more visibility through stories published on IITA news outlets and posts on IITA social media platforms.
Cole gave an update on gender integration in the new One CGIAR initiatives. He talked about the Gender Science Exchange Fair that will take place in Nairobi and the launch of the HER+ initiative to be held a week before the science exchange, where all Gender Research Coordinators will meet. Cole also mentioned the gender-responsive extension and agriculture for transformation program, where IITA will work with agronomists to develop gender research capacity. “This will also involve Makerere University in Uganda and Cornell University in the US,” he added.
Closing the meeting, Cole noted that the next gender research webinar series would come up in October. He also responded to a member’s suggestion to find a way of reaching more people with the webinars and training opportunities. He assured the team that such opportunities will reach the Communication and Capacity Development offices for more visibility.
Contributed by Ochuwa Favour Daramola
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