In a recent literature review focusing on agrarian societies in the drylands, ICARDA scientist Dina Najjar and Ph.D. student Jemima Baada at Western University in Canada investigate how outmigration of men affect women’s roles in agriculture, as well as the wider effect in different contexts of the dry areas (rangeland, irrigated production and rainfed). The study revealed that women are carrying out
The prospects and promise of expanding markets and increased demand for food products from a growing global population would suggest more incentives to engage in farming, making the sector attractive for the current and next generations. However, along with this is the recognition of the “unprecedented, intersecting challenges”, or perhaps as a direct result of these, a widespread narrative of
In a remarkable turnaround, farmers in Northern Nigeria organized themselves into innovation platforms, and with support from the Tropical Legumes (TL) project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, turned into successful groundnut seed producers in 2011. The impacts of those actions are felt even today, with farmers continuing to adopt improved variety seeds and good agronomic practices to obtain high yields
We may have moved some way from the technocratic management of natural resources. But, more often than not, interventions that address gender issues, simplistically interpreted as being about women, are adopted without considering complex realities on the ground. International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to challenge and disrupt conventional ways of approaching gender in natural resources research for development. From
WorldFish’s Global Lead for Nutrition and Public Health, Aquatic Food Systems, and Vice Chair of the 2021 UN Food System Summit Action Track 4: Advance Equitable Livelihoods, Dr. Shakuntala Thilsted, shares her experience developing nutrition-sensitive innovations that are transforming women’s lives. One in every two workers in aquatic food systems are women. Some of these women work directly in fisheries
On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2021, the CGIAR GENDER Platform newsletter features the latest gender research news and insights from across CGIAR. In line with this year’s theme for International Women’s Day, the newsletter is celebrating the important leadership roles of women and girls in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Explore the
Empowered women make their own life choices. About family, finances, farming—and much more. Many development projects say they want to contribute to women’s empowerment. But as we observe International Women’s Day (March 8), important questions remain: How do we know that what we’re doing works? How can we ensure our good intentions translate into good results? These questions guided the development of
Adopting drought-tolerant (DT) maize varieties has helped lift millions of people above Africa’s poverty line. In his recently launched book, How to avoid a climate disaster: The solutions we have and the breakthroughs we need, Bill Gates mentioned this innovation, singling out CGIAR as being “at the forefront of supporting the world to feed itself through research including developing improved higher-yielding