The document discusses gender integration in the Wheat Research for Development (WHEAT) program. It notes that farming takes place within complex social relationships that are often gendered. The WHEAT program recognizes this and aims to understand how gender affects areas like technology adoption and project outcomes to contribute to equality of opportunities and outcomes among small-scale farmers. It outlines WHEAT's two-pronged gender strategy of integrating gender research into technical areas and conducting specific gender research. Key research questions are provided for each flagship program area to ensure gender perspectives are incorporated.

1. Introduction
Farming takes place in the midst of complex social relationships, at household level, group and
community level, market system level and the wider society (Figure 1). Gender is a key structuring
element in this context, often intersecting with other social identities such as age, caste and ethnicity,
and enabling or constraining opportunities and outcomes differently, for different social groups.
Power relations at each of these levels affect the extent to which women, and men, can access, use
and benefit from technologies. WHEAT recognizes that in order to design and undertake agricultural
R4D that is both technically and socially robust, it is necessary to understand and take into account
how agri-food systems operate across different social enabling environments.
WHEAT Phase II prioritizes building the evidence base on gender relations in wheat-based systems.
In particular, research focuses on understanding how gender affects vulnerability, risk management
and coping strategies, technology adoption and project outcomes in wheat-based systems. The aim
is to contribute towards equality of opportunity and outcomes from wheat R4D among resource-poor
women, men and youth farmers.
The integration of gender in WHEAT is conceived as a process of continual improvement, in which
research design and practice, and research management frameworks and procedures, are designed
to complement and reinforce each other. The WHEAT Gender Strategy follows a two-pronged
approach: (1) integrative gender research as part of other technical research, e.g., socioeconomic
research, wheat breeding or crop management; and (2) strategic gender research to further expand
the knowledge base concerning gender specifically in relation to wheat-based farming and
livelihoods. Both of these avenues contribute to inform and deepen the relevance of other WHEAT
research themes, as well as overall CRP priority setting and targeting, in order to enhance the
impact of wheat agri-food systems R4D.
NGOs, research
institutes, donors,
govt.
Market system
Group & community
Adopting
household
Adopting
woman or man
Figure 1: Gender amidst complex social relationships
Flagship gender
objectives Selected research questions
FP1: Enhancing WHEAT’s
R4D strategy for impact
To strengthen the evidence
base on gender in wheat-
based systems and livelihoods;
and ensure that foresight and
targeting, adoption and impact
studies, as well as wheat-
related value chain
development interventions, are
informed by a gender and
social inclusion perspective.
• How do the roles, resources, constraints and priorities of women and
men of different age groups differ in wheat agri-food systems (AFS)?
What are the implications of this, e.g., for technology development
and diffusion?
• How do gender relations and access to resources influence adoption
of new wheat technologies by women and men of different age
groups? And how does the introduction of new technologies influence
gender relations?
• What is the capacity for gender-responsive technology generation and
dissemination of R&D partners, including advisory services, input and
service providers, and seed enterprises?
• What are the gendered impacts of wheat R4D, who benefits, and
how?
FP2: Novel diversity and
tools for improving genetic
gains and breeding
efficiency
To ensure that perspectives of
male and female end users are
taken into account in up-stream
targeting and decision making.
• How can we ensure that efforts to increase genetic gain benefit both
men and women wheat farmers and consumers in particular contexts?
• What traits are relevant for key beneficiary groups, and how are they
related to gender? How can downstream gender research and
analysis findings along continuum from discovery of new knowledge to
achievement of systemic change inform up-stream targeting and
decision making?
FP3: Better varieties reach
farmers faster
Understanding gender-
differentiated preferences/
constraints in relation to
specific traits in wheat
germplasm, and the
implications hereof in relation
to priority setting and targeting
of wheat breeding strategies.
• What are the traits or combinations of traits related to wheat that men
and women farmers and consumers in different contexts and social
groups prioritize? How are these similar or different for men and
women? To what extent are they related to gender-specific labor
burdens? (e.g., weeding, post-harvest, nutrition).
• How, and to what extent, are these needs, preferences and
constraints considered in wheat breeding?
• What factors influence men’s and women’s ability to access, use and
benefit from improved wheat varieties? Do these factors affect men
and women in the same or different ways?
• How do farmers, especially women, access information about seed?
What are key issues for developing gender-sensitive variety promotion
and decision support information?
FP4: Sustainable
intensification of wheat-
based farming systems
To ensure that sustainable
intensification of wheat-based
systems and livelihoods takes
gender and social disparities
into account and delivers
positive benefits to both men
and women of different social
groups.
• What types of institutional arrangements and business models can
enhance the ability of poor women farmers, youth and marginalized
groups to access and benefit from more efficient and labor-saving
technologies?
• What are potential trade-offs of sustainable intensification
technologies from a gender and social inclusion perspective? And
what approaches can help mitigate these?
• How do social and gender norms constrain/enhance individuals’ ability
to engage in agricultural innovation processes? And what are effective
measures to address barriers to social inclusion in technology
development and dissemination?
Contribution towards a CGIAR-wide gender
research framework
Thematic: gender and social dimensions of innovation processes in wheat-based AFS, strong
focus on institutions as barriers to/enablers of gender equality
Approach: continual improvement, mixed methods, collaboration, dialogue
Process: building evidence and capacity for improved outcomes and impact
The WHEAT gender strategy impact logic
Key gender concepts
The concepts underlying WHEAT’s gender agenda include:
• Gender equality entails the concept that all human beings are free to
develop their personal abilities and make choices without the limitations set
by stereotypes, rigid gender roles or prejudices. Gender equality means that
the different behaviors, aspirations and the needs of women and men are
considered, valued and favored equally. It does not mean that women and
men have to become the same, but that their rights, responsibilities and
opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female.
• Empowerment implies people – both women and men – taking control over
their lives by setting their own agendas, gaining skills (or having their own
skills and knowledge recognized), increasing their self-confidence, solving
problems and developing self-reliance. It is both a process and an outcome.
• Agency refers to the capacity to make strategic life decisions and act upon
them.
• Gender-transformative approaches actively strive to examine, question and
change rigid gender norms and the imbalance of power as a means of
achieving development goals as well as meeting gender equity objectives.
• Gender-responsive (or -aware) approaches are designed to meet both
women’s and men’s needs.
Gender Equality and Social
Inclusion in WHEAT
Research Outputs Research Outcomes Impact
Gender-sensitive guidelines re:
technology promotion; and
farmer decision support
information
Innovative, gender-responsive
and -transformative crop and
farm management practices
Trait pipelines for R4D
addressing characteristics of
special importance to women
Sex-disaggregated data sets re:
farmer preferences, technology
adoption, crop management,
etc.
Sensitization of NARS and
advisory services re: gender in
wheat technology development
and diffusion
Sustainable intensification
frameworks with social equity
and gender analysis integrated
Reduced vulnerability and
increased benefits from wheat
production to both female and
male small-scale wheat
farmers through increased
gender equality in the access
to and use of appropriate,
improved wheat technologies
and management practices,
developed with special
consideration of their needs
and preferences
Increased gender
responsiveness of wheat R&D
partners reflected in gender-
responsive and -inclusive
business models and
practices, and inclusive
institutional arrangements that
increase gender and social
equity in the distribution of
benefits from sustainable
intensification and increased
market integration
Research priority setting and
targeting informed by gender
research and analysis
Peer-reviewed articles, policy
briefs and tools for gender-
responsive wheat R4D
Improved livelihoods of
smallholder families due
to improved equality of
opportunity and outcomes
between women and men
wheat farmers