A gendered perspective of an Agro-Climate Information Systems (ACIS) project taking place in Southeast Asia.

1. From sitting the back rows
to speaking from the front row
- how climate services changed gender relations
Gender meeting, Canberra, April 1, 2019
Elisabeth Simelton, Climate change scientist, CCAFS Project leader
Tam T Le, Tuan M Duong, Hoa D Le, Johanna Gammelgaard
World Agroforestry (ICRAF Vietnam); Email: e.Simelton@cgiar.org

2. - Do you understand the agroadvisory?
- Yes, because I made it …

3. Starting point for ‘ACIS’ – 2015
Source: Coulier, Baseline studies for ACIS
(2015-16) n=1333 households
Agro-Climate Information Systems for women and ethnic minorities in
Southeast Asia
AGRICULTURE
Extension workers
(male) talk to (some)
men
Men and women have
different preferences
for layout and content
of agroadvisory
Some gendered tasks
(forestry), many
‘preferred’
HOME
Language and literacy :
more men speak
‘national’ language
Women work longer
hours (housework),
sleep fewer hours
Women don’t have time
to read long
agroadvisories
Ethnic minority women
have more children,
work less off-farm than
the ‘majority’ women

4. In 2018 : what women and men farmers say
Women move to
the front and talk
Women and men
take more
decisions together
Women and men
learn from each
other
Women and men
prioritise different
CSA
interventions
Women and men
work better
together
Prel. evaluation ca 200 respondents
Saves
labour time

5. In 2018 : what women and men farmers say
Women move to
the front and talk
Women and men
take more
decisions together
Women and men
learn from each
other
Women and men
prioritise different
CSA
interventions
Women and men
work better
together
Participatory
scenario
planning
New gender
neutral practices
vermiculture, AFS,
nursery
Homegarden,
nursery
Design
agroadvisory
Exercises to
realise
workload
Forestry
Prel. evaluation ca 200 respondents. . Social media groups, farmer
interest groups, village savings
& loans funds
Saves
labour time

6. Reflections on what we did
• Outcomes ?
 Households are more resilient when both heads of households can
exchange each other in meetings, housework and farmwork – if one
goes away.
• Accept context differences
 Mixed and separate gender focus and working groups
 Gender roles associated with literacy and culture  train women on
using smartphones, weather apps, social media
 Facilitators are key! One woman and man made differences, female
trainers on technical things (they become role models)
 Changing behavior takes time. Small changes in a world that changes
rapidly and unpredictably.

8. What did farmers appreciate the most with
ACIS climate service after 3 years?
0 2 4 6 8 10
Resource use
efficiency
Yield increase
Crop choice
Knowledge sharing
Timing
Ranked No 1 Ranked No 2 Ranked No 3
Production Translation Transfer Use
Pilot survey, Focus group discussion July 2018 n=7 men + 6 women

9. Participatory Scenario Planning
• Who? Meteorologists, extension,
farmer champions, leaders, farmer
organization + facilitator
• What?
 Previous forecast & advisory
evaluated
 Seasonal forecast and relevant
response strategies discussed and
agreed
 Distribute
• When? 2-3 times/ crop season
• Where? Village/commune centre
• How? Joint activity with other
meetings, e.g. savings & loans
associations, farmer field schools
Production Translation Transfer Use
Leaders from “scaling villages” testing
participatory scenario planning for the first
time, Vietnam

10. Do women and men farmers have different
preferences?

No. 1
Women
and men
 
Men liked
Women
disliked
Men liked
Women
liked
Source: Duong et al 2017
Indicators
Understandable
Useful
Appropriate
Take time to
read
Production Translation Transfer Use
Leaders from “scaling villages” testing
participatory scenario planning, Vietnam

11. Institutions
Farmer Networks
The ACIS approach
Agroadvisory
Participatory Scenario
Planning
Hazard mapping
Farming calendar
Ground truthing
Agroclimate zoning
Updated forecast
Climate data
Seasonal forecast
Local knowledge