| Sumario: | We are proud to look back at an impressive body of research and innovations at the frontier of gender in agrifood systems research produced by an amazing cross-CGIAR and interdisciplinary HER+ team.
The CGIAR Initiative on Gender Equality had a strong start in April 2022, with work initiated on boosting women’s empowerment and resilience to climate change across our core work packages (WPs): VOICE, PROTECT, EMPOWER, and TRANSFORM.
In 2023, significant progress was achieved: WP VOICE advanced tools and strategies to amplify women's roles in governance, piloting innovative approaches in Nigeria and India. WP PROTECT focused on gender-sensitive social protection, revealing the potential of programs in Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Mali to enhance resilience when paired with targeted interventions. WP EMPOWER designed and tested Socially Transformative Innovation Bundles (STIBs) across 11 learning labs in Africa and South Asia, targeting climate-smart agriculture and value chains. WP TRANSFORM developed evidence and guidelines for gender-transformative approaches (GTAs), addressing restrictive social norms in Tanzania and Nigeria.
The initiative's work spanned five focus countries—Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and India—while expanding collaborations in Malawi, Egypt, Tanzania, and Vietnam. Dissemination efforts included high-profile engagements such as COP28.
In 2024, HER+ achieved key milestones: WP1 co-designed gender-transformative processes in cassava, chicken, and fish value chains in Nigeria and Tanzania. WP2 refined and implemented STIBs with global partners in Ethiopia, India, and Kenya. WP3 demonstrated the effectiveness of gender-responsive social protection programs, notably through Ethiopia's PSNP. WP4 empowered women’s advocacy and governance roles, expanded WEAGov in India, and influenced global standards for gender-responsive sustainability systems.
We are excited to look ahead, not only to a new year but also to a new phase of the gender equality research initiative under the GEI Accelerator. This new phase builds on HER+’s pioneering work, advancing fundamental research on structural barriers to gender equality and inclusion in agrifood systems during a climate crisis. This includes addressing normative constraints, enhancing agency, resources, protection, voice, and influence through partnerships with key stakeholders.
The new phase not only deepens these efforts but also ventures into new areas of research. It aims to tackle multiple constraints simultaneously, for instance, through more intentionally bundling solutions to address norms, amplify voice, support empowerment and foster anticipatory and adaptive livelihoods It will also explore innovative mechanisms like cooperatives, financial inclusion models, and broader testing in diverse contexts. We envision a scaling and implementation of the insights, metrics, tools and innovations generated though HER+ by working with CGIAR Programs in integrating them into climate, agronomic, livestock, policy, food frontiers, and diets and nutrition programs.
This new phase emphasizes a strengthened intersectional lens, integrating youth and gender dimensions into tools such as the guide for measuring and understanding gender norms in FLWS. Emerging research will explore the challenges of an imminent future like high urbanization, population growth, aging rural populations, diversified livelihoods of a large young population, digital economies, exacerbated climate pressures, and fragile or conflict settings.
What particularly excites us about this phase is the stronger focus on investigating what works and the deeper interconnection between fundamental research addressing structural barriers to equality and inclusion in FLWs with efforts to foster an enabling environment for the AR4D ecosystem to support the transitions to equitable FLWs. This dual approach promises impactful, long-term change.
We sincerely thank all of you—researchers, research participants, partners, program management team members, and supporters—for being an integral part of this impactful journey. We look forward to continuing our collaboration in advancing more equitable agrifood systems.
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