Quinn Bernier, Elizabeth Bryan, Marcia Espinal, and Claudia Ringler

1. Quinn Bernier, Elizabeth Bryan, Marcia Espinal,
and Claudia Ringler*
(c.ringler@cgiar.org)
Integrating Gender into Climate Change
Adaptation Programs: A Research and
Capacity Needs Assessment for Sub-
Saharan Africa

2. Methods for Research and Capacity
Needs Assessment
• Literature review of INGO strategy documents
for gender integration into adaptation/
resilience programs (focus on 7 organizations)
• Development of knowledge, attitudes and
practices (KAP) survey based on best practices
• Key informant interviews (KIIs) with selected
KAP respondents

3. Background of Respondents (KAP)
Organization type Freq. Percent
Government ministries/national
research organizations 13 16.3
Local NGOs 17 21.3
International NGOs 23 28.8
International research
organizations/universities 11 13.8
Donor organizations 9 11.3
Private company/consultancy 7 8.8
Source: Authors, KAP survey 2015

4. Knowledge of Research on Gender and
Climate Change
Source: Authors, KAP survey 2015
2.9
2.7
2.3
2.5 2.5
2.8
3.4
3.0
3.1 3.1
3.2
3.53.6 3.6
2.8
3.2 3.2
3.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
Research findings on
climate change as it
relates to gender
Guidelines for
integrating gender
perspectives to the
different project cycle
stages
Gender-disaggregated
data related to
climate change
Gender-disaggregated
data in general
Tools and resources
for gender-aware
climate change
adaptation
approaches
Evidence on projected
climate change and
appropriate adaptive
responses
(1=no access, 3=average access, 5=complete access)
Government ministries/national research organizations (13) Local NGOs (17)
International NGOs (23) All organizations (80)

5. Knowledge of Research on Gender and
Climate Change
• A wide range of information sources are used
from websites to peer-reviewed papers to
conferences
• Preferences for different sources of
information vary by organization type in
obvious ways:
– Researchers prefer peer-reviewed publications
– Local NGOs prefer conferences
– INGOs prefer websites

6. Insights from KIIs on Knowledge of Research
• Lack of access to local, context-specific
research and data on gender and climate
change
• Need for more success stories and
experiences to be shared amongst
organizations
• Desired research products include toolkits,
training guides, success stories and best
practices

7. Attitudes: Gaps in Project Design, Targeting,
Implementation, and M&E on Gender & Adaptation
1.0
1.2
0.5
1.1
3.1
2.9
3.6
3.2
4.1
4.1
4.1
4.2
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5
All organizations
Government agencies/research
organizations
Local NGOs
International NGOs
Personal opinion Actual practice Gap
1=not important, 3=average importance, and 5=very important

8. Attitudes: Gaps in Project Design and Targeting
Source: Authors, KAP survey 2015
• Gaps in Project Design
– Largest gaps of any project stage
– Organizations can do more to:
• Consult men and women during project design
• Ensure technologies and practices are feasible for both
men and women
• Consider the implications of the project for men and
women
• Gaps in Targeting
– Organizations should consider the intersection of gender
with other social categories (e.g. class, ethnicity)

9. Attitudes: Gaps in Implementation and M&E
Source: Authors, KAP survey 2015
• Gaps in implementation
– Most organizations have male and female staff
– Large gap in training on integrating gender
– More could be done to eliminate barriers to
women’s participation in program activities
• Gaps in M&E
– Tracking of men’s and women’s participation is
commonly done
– Larger gap in monitoring gender differences in
adoption and outcomes

10. Insights from KIIs on Attitudes
• Retro-fitting gender to existing programs is common
• Gender components are treated casually or are
neglected—gender components and M&E are first
on the chopping block when there are funding
shortages
• Preferences of the end-users (men and women)
regarding a technology are not considered
• Local NGOs and government agencies target
community benefits vs individual benefits and
emphasize local buy-in of projects
• While not directly targeted, many beneficiaries
happen to be female given women’s role in
agriculture

11. Practices: Insights from KIIs
• Lack of funding and capacity to support gender-
sensitive research and M&E
• Not enough focus on qualitative data collection
and overemphasis on numbers
• Qualitative data would show whether climate
change programs increase adaptive capacity
and measure changes in behavior and
attitudes/perceptions
• Need for gender-disaggregated data collection
from the start of projects to serve as a baseline

12. Constraints to Implementing Gender-Sensitive
Adaptation Programs
(1=not a constraint, 3=average constraint, 5=significant constraint)
Source: Authors, KAP survey 2015
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Availability and/or
access to relevant
research on gender
and climate changed
adaptation
Social or cultural
barriers to women's
participation in DM at
the HH, communirty,
or National level
Availability and/or
access to gender-
disaggregated data
Willingness of local
gov/communities to
involve women
projects/programs
Availability of financial
resources from
donors to incentivize
gender sensisite
programming
Capacity of program
staff in areas of
gender
Government Local NGO Int'l NGO average

13. Insights from KIIs on Constraints
• Funding is the main barrier identified by KII
participants
• They also highlighted lack of women in decision-
making roles
• Lack of community awareness of gender issues—
“gender” often equated with women only
• Lack of staff capacity on gender and cc
• There is a lag in translating policy mandates into
programs on the ground. Pressure from donors
and others is needed to ensure follow-through

14. Conclusions – Information and
Capacity Needs
• Although organizations reported some access
to information and research on climate
change from various sources, all want more
• Government agencies/national research
institutes have the least access to information
• Local NGOs, in particular, felt that information
was not being shared amongst organizations
• Need for culturally-sensitive training materials
on gender and climate change

15. Conclusions – Information and
Capacity Needs
• Respondents highlighted the need for more
gender-disaggregated data and context-specific
research
• Building this knowledge base will require more
research to be built into projects—this will
require capacity building and tools
• Information/research should be targeted through
the preferred channels identified by organization
types (e.g. through conferences for local NGOs)
• Lack of staff capacity on gender, especially in
govt. agencies and national research institutes

16. Conclusions – Gender Integration
• Large gap in integrating gender considerations
during project design—need for more
information on gender-disaggregated
preferences for technologies/practices
• Local NGOs had the lowest gaps– their
experience could provide insights into
integrating gender considerations into
programs through a community/participatory
approach
• Need pressure from the top (donors) to
ensure follow through on gender