1.
Elizabeth Bryan
Environment and Production Technology Division
International Food Policy Research Institute
e.bryan@cgiar.org
Washington, DC
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
The Role of Gender for Cross-Sectoral,
Transformative Change

2.
A Gender Lens is Essential for Achieving Multiple Goals

3.
A Gender Lens is Key to Address Today’s Biggest
Development Challenges (from the Bridge Report)
▪ Accelerating a low-
carbon, clean air, and
environmentally friendly
energy future for all
▪ Transforming the global
food system for health
and sustainability
▪ Targeting sanitation and
wastewater
improvements to
maximize benefits for
people

4.
GHG Emission Savings from Improved Cookstoves in Ethiopia
0
1,690
4,169
6,209
7,975
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
20000
2000 2008 2012 2015 2020 2025 2030
CO2emissions(kt)
Savings Reference ICS
Source: Mondal et al. 2018, LEAP Model results
Women Play Key Role in Clean Energy

5.
Women Benefit from and Play Key Role in Clean Energy
▪ Women mostly exposed to
indoor air pollution
▪ Huge opportunity cost of
fuelwood collection,
especially for women
▪ Widespread adoption of
clean cookstoves could
reduce women’s labor
burden and improve health
▪ Design of stoves must take
women’s needs into
account (adoption low)
Source: WHO 2006

6.
Women’s Empowerment in Ag Water Management Influences Nutrition

7.
Gender Equity in Food Systems Improves Outcomes
• Women are disadvantaged in:
• Productive asset
ownership (including land
and livestock)
• Control of productive
inputs
• Education levels
• Access to services (e.g.
extension, finance)
• Bargaining power
• These disadvantages lead to
a gender gap in production
Source: Peterman et. al. 2011, SOFA 2011
15
5 5 4
23
9 8
technology related
to input use, access,
adoption
access to water and
soil management
techniques
access to ag
extension and ag
labour
access to social
capital and political
capital
Men favoured Women favoued No statistical difference

8.
Gender Equity in Food Systems Improves Outcomes:
E.g. Increasing Women’s Access to Information
• Unequal access
to agricultural
information
• Low awareness
and adoption of
good agricultural
practices
• When aware,
woman are just
as likely to adopt
new practices
Image: Financial inclusion / MasterCard Foundation © 2009

9.
How to Achieve Gender Transformative Change?
▪ Diagnose areas of women’s disempowerment in a particular context
▪ Design appropriate gender-sensitive approaches and strategies
▪ Approaches that facilitate women’s empowerment have greater
potential for transformation
Reach Benefit Empower
Include women in
program activities
Increase women’s well-
being (e.g. food security,
income, health)
Strengthen ability of women to
make strategic life choices and to
put those choices into action