Advancing gender equality and social inclusion in sustainable water-energy-food-ecosystem management

By Haley Zaremba, Natalia Estrada Carmona, and Marlene Elias

Original blog published on Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT on January 25, 2023

NEXUS Gains researchers shine a spotlight on the social impacts of integrated resource management.

Researchers at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT searched the most comprehensive nexus knowledge hub and found that of the hub’s 2,112 resources, only three were tagged with the keyword “gender”. A search on Web of Science further underscored how little attention GESI topics receive in the nexus literature. Similarly, an internet search surfaced only 18 nexus-related training and conference materials, of which 12 were open access.

The CGIAR Initiative on NEXUS Gains is working to change that. It has developed a learning module focused on the meaningful integration of GESI into approaches for use by policy-makers, practitioners, and researchers who are interested in learning more about socially just and responsible nexus governance. To overcome women’s marginalization in male-dominated water, energy, food, and environmental sectors, NEXUS Gains will also support the leadership of women professionals and their equitable influence in decision-making in these sectors.

By working to raise awareness of and to challenge the barriers that women face at all levels of nexus management and governance, NEXUS Gains aims to help shape and advance the agenda of fair, equitable, and responsibly managed water, energy, food, and ecosystems for all.