1. INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Conceptual Framework
for Identifying Gendered
Impacts of Agricultural
Programs
Ruth Meinzen-Dick
INTERNATIONAL LIVESTOCK RESEARCH INSTITUTE

2.  Helps identify HOW:
• Gendered asset distribution affects outcomes
• Outcome of agricultural programs differs by
gender
• Building assets takes place in a way that is
gendered
 Guides attention to key processes for
evaluation
 Provides basis for comparison and learning
across different case studies
Why have a conceptual framework?

3.  Women and men have separate assets, activities,
consumption, etc.
 Households also have some joint assets,
activities, consumption, etc.
 Shading of each component as a reminder that
we need to consider gender—separation and
jointness in each
Women’s Men’sJOINT
Each component is gendered

4. Context
 Agroecology
 Location
 Institutions
 Gender relations
 etc.

5. Mapping assets within a household
•Natural
•Physical
•Financial
•Human
•Social
•Political

6. Livelihood Strategies
 What are the livelihood options available to
women and men?
 What assets do those livelihoods require?
 Are women (or men) precluded from good
livelihoods by lack of assets?

7. Shocks
 What are the major shocks that affect
women, men, and households?
 How do women, men respond to shocks?
 What role do assets play in responding to
shocks?

8. Institutions of Exchange
 Markets (gendered participation in different
types of markets)
 Insurance
 Social exchange
 How do policies affect these?

9. Incomes
 Includes cash and direct consumption
 What affects the income women and men
earn?
 What affects the control of income within the
household?

10. Consumption
 Includes food and nonfood
 How are women’s, men’s, and joint
income used for different types of
consumption by different family members?
 What affects decisions on consumption?
(Does control of assets play a role?)

11. Savings/Investment
 This feeds back to + or – asset accumulation
 How are women’s, men’s, and joint income
used for different types of investment by
different family members?
 What affects decisions on investment?
 Are there enough mechanisms for women to
build assets?

12. Conceptualizing Project Interventions
Context
Assets
Livelihood
Strategies
Institutions
of Exchange
Shocks Consumption
Incomes
Savings/
Investment

13. Discussion Questions 1
Do you have questions or concerns about either
1. The content of the conceptual framework or
2. The overall initiative process
Is anything missing, or should something be
removed or changed?

14. Discussion Questions 2
Discuss the possibilities and/or challenges in
applying the framework in your own projects