Including considerations of gender in research takes conscious effort and should be part of a project’s workplan from the very beginning. In this presentation, CIFOR scientist Esther Mwangi walks through strategies for gender-responsive research, using the different components of CGIAR Research Programme 6 (Forests, Trees and Agroforestry) as an example. She gave this presentation on 8 March 2012 to help CRP6 Component 2 researchers discuss including gender in activities on the programme’s 2012 workplan. The presentation was part of the recent Component 2 planning meeting in Rome. For more information about CRP6, visit www.cifor.org/crp6/.

1. CRP6: Elements of a strategy for gender-
responsive research
Esther Mwangi, Delia Catacutan, Riina Jalonen
8 March 2012 - Rome
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2.  Walk through CRP6 gender (the research; the strategy)
 Highlight activities in 2012 workplan
 Feedback: is 2012 workplan relevant for Component 2?
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3. Gender in the CRPs
 CGIAR new research for development strategy
 Commitment to incorporate gender via new research
portfolio (the CRPs)
 Careful integration of gender into research
objectives, technology development, diffusion and
extension strategies, and evaluation frameworks
 Gender analysis as a critical component of agricultural
research – one that can help CGIAR scientists develop
products that are responsive to the needs, preferences
and capabilities of farmers (women as well as men)
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4. Gender in CRP6 (ICRW reflection)
The majority of CRPs are gender-neutral…. only five CRP
proposals integrated gender in original and effective ways.
• • CRP 1.3 (Harnessing the Development Potential of Aquatic
Agricultural Systems for the Poor and Vulnerable)
• • CRP 2 (Policies, Institutions and Markets to Strengthen Assets and
Agricultural Incomes for the Poor)
• • CRP 3.4 (Roots, Tubers and Bananas for Food Security and Income)
• • CRP 3.7 (More Meat, Milk and Fish by and for the Poor)
• • CRP 6 (Forests and Trees: Livelihoods, Landscapes and
Governance)
PARTNERS:
SAFORGEN, SYAMPUNGANI, CATIE, FAO, IUCN, CIRAD, I
RD, FFPRI, WB
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5. Strategies for gender-responsive
research
Collection of sex-disaggregated data
 multiple methodologies to generate insights
 a premium on participatory techniques
(inclusion, learning, empowerment)
 sentinel sites, established in diverse settings: monitoring
change and assessing impacts of specific policy and/or
practice
Training programs/workshops: tools and skills for
collecting sex-disaggregated data and gender
relations.
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6. Strategies for gender-responsive
research (2)
Partnerships and alliances
 informing research e.g. problem identification and
prioritisation
 avenues for uptake and adoption
 raising awareness and mobilising action toward gender
inclusion
 Pathways to impacts
 Multiple levels: local, national, regional, international
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7. Strategies for gender-responsive
research (3)
Knowledge sharing
 Synthesis, documentation and dissemination of
knowledge generated from gender dimensions of our
research
• e.g. factors that enhance/constrain women’s/men’s
‘participation’
 good practice guides, training guides, policy briefings and
scientific articles
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8. Strategies for gender-responsive
research (4)
Adaptive learning
 develop and track indicators of inclusion, improved
gender equity
 evaluate effectiveness
 improve data collection and analysis systems
 quantitative and qualitative indicators
 critical analysis of activities/outputs for incorporation of
new knowledge
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9. Table 1. Consideration of gender differentials and equality across the research components
Theme Issues across research components Key research strategies
Knowledge, Priorities for tree and forest species, traits, land uses and products (C1–C5) Participatory research and identification of
preferences and Value chains and enterprise opportunities for tree and forest products (C1, C2) topics
priorities reflected Sex-disaggregated data
Priority resources and mitigated impacts in climate change adaptation (C4)
in identification of
Specific priorities of women: postharvest processing (C1, C2), bioenergy for Gender analysis for understanding the
research topics
household consumption (C4), fruit trees (C2) underlying factors
Negative impacts Trade-offs between land uses and livelihoods, and displacement of user groups Participatory research and identification of
identified and during forest transitions (C3), market integration (C5), payments for topics
avoided/mitigated environmental services (PES) (C3) and REDD+ projects (C4) and Sex-disaggregated data
conservation actions (C2)
Gender analysis for understanding the
Policies and strategies on tenure rights (C1–C5), ecosystem management (C2, underlying factors
C3), REDD+ (C4), trade and investment flows (C5) and conservation (C2)
Knowledge sharing and tools development
Impacts of climate change (C4), loss of ecosystem services (C3) and biodiversity
(C2) on priority systems, products and services
Differential access Access to and control of land and tree resources during changing land uses, Participatory research and identification of
and ability to policies and markets (C1–C5) topics
adopt materials, Approaches and tools in ecosystem and tree management (C1–C3) Sex-disaggregated data
methods and
Approaches and tools in climate change adaptation and mitigation projects (C3) Gender analysis for understanding the
knowledge
Targeted extension and training approaches (C1–C4) underlying factors
accounted for in
activities Access to inputs, markets and market information on forest and tree products Participatory scenario building and planning
(C1, C5), PES (C3) and REDD+ (C4) Knowledge sharing and tools development
Outcome mapping
Equitable Obtaining and securing tenure rights during intensification (C1), forest Participatory research and identification of
participation in transitions (C3), market integration (C5), development of markets for topics
and ability to ecosystem services (C3) and REDD+ (C4), and conservation actions (C2) Gender analysis for understanding the
influence Negotiation power on land uses and trade-offs with external actors: local and underlying factors
decision-making national authorities (C1–C5), market actors and industries (C1–C5), Alliances built with policy and advocacy
processes international climate policies (C4) and conservation NGOs (C2, C3) communities
enhanced
Design of policies and strategies for tree and ecosystem management (C1–C3), Knowledge sharing and tools development
PES (C3), climate change mitigation and adaptation (C4), trade, investment
Sex-disaggregated data
and land acquisition (C5) and conservation (C2)
Distribution of incomes from tree and forest products (C1, C2, C5), PES (C3) and
REDD+ projects (C4)
Reconciling needs and managing conflicts in resource use within households and
communities (C1–C5) THINKING beyond the canopy

10. Theme 1: Research questions
What are the most important criteria for How do criteria and priorities of men and women differ?
identifying priority tree species and populations How can understanding the different gender roles help
for conservation action at subnational, national address these priorities? How could the different priorities
and regional levels? expressed be considered more equally when defining
common priorities?
What are the status, trends threats and major Do men and women value species and traits differently and
drivers of loss of intra- and interspecific forest play different roles in and/or experience different effects
and tree biodiversity of socioeconomic from the drivers of diversity loss? Who e loses when
importance? different types of diversity are lost?
What are the most effective and practical Are the indicators equally understandable and applicable to
indicators of genetic diversity (including ecological men and women and their priority species and systems?
proxies) across the landscape (including
seminatural managed and planted forests)?
How can one design the best combination of in How can one encourage equitable participation in strategy
situ, ex situ and/or circa situ (on-farm) development and outcomes? How do conservation
conservation approaches and how can challenges strategies affect men and women and their access to
to their implementation be overcome for priority resources? What kinds of checks should be included in tools
tree species (including fruit trees and tree crops to assess gender impacts?
across the forest-to-farm spectrum?) How can women be prioritized as main processers,
consumers and quality controllers of fruit diversity?
Which elements must be included in guidelines or How can equitable participation and influence in the
strategies for conservation of genetic resources strategy development processes by different user groups be
for uptake and adoption in high-poverty areas encouraged?
and by different user groups, including women
and men?
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11. Gender theme workplan 2012
Activity Deliverable
Gender disaggregated Participate in CRP6 components operational Contribution to gender research in CRP6
data collection planning meetings components
Develop methods manual Manual of gender analysis methods for CRP6
scientists
Gender analysis training needs assessment Scientists trained and mentoring system in
and training place
Develop and roll out bibliographic database on Database available on website and CD-ROM for
gender, forests and trees use by scientists
Develop database of gender experts for CRP6 Database available to CRP6 component leaders
Identification of existing gender-relevant data Summary report on characteristics of data set,
sets accessibility, geographic distribution, type of
data etc
Support for proposal writing/gender Proposals reviewed; existing projects modified
integration in current projects to incorporate gender
Adaptive learning Learning workshop on methods for gender Indicators for gender inclusion, monitoring and
analysis, monitoring and evaluation evaluation
Knowledge sharing Review and synthesis of factors conditioning Synthesis paper
and dissemination gender differentials in participation in use and
management of forests and trees
Website updates and blogs THINKING beyond the canopy
Blog reports

12. Are 2012 activities relevant in light
of our discussions?
 Incorporating gender concerns in our work in diverse ways:
• Different points of the project cycle/planning e.g. priority setting; in
methods/approaches—differentiation e.g. separate men’s and women’s groups;
assessing impacts; multi-disciplinary teams that include socio-economists;
balancing men and women in capacity building/training; situation analysis—
identify whom to speak with and different entry points to women and men; funding
programs for graduate research (CATIE, AWARD); team specialists trained in
gender; internal training for sensitisation
• Gender not relevant to all questions but ensure sensitivity and awareness
 Proposals and budgets: screen proposals but also be sure to budget for gender
 Information management/sharing:
• gender-friendly materials produced; storage of gender-specific data; GIS tools to
identify gender-specific systems
 Worries: imposition—people generally tired to work on the issue, resistance in
institutions; difficult to make changes because relations are deep seated and cultural;
migrants can’t plant trees; we have not been doing good science with respect to
gender
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