SECOND A4NH GENDER-NUTRITION METHODS WORKSHOP: NUTRITION AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

On December 2-4, 2014, the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) held the second annual Gender and Nutrition Methods Workshop, hosted by Bioversity International in Rome. Following the successful first A4NH gender-nutrition workshop held in 2013 in Nairobi, this year convened over 40 researchers and practitioners representing 9 CGIAR Research Programs and their partners to learn about and discuss how gender affects the pathways through which agriculture influences nutrition, with a thematic focus on women’s participation in decision-making.

With a mix of presentations, group discussion, individualized consultations, and interactive group work on case studies, the workshop was guided by three objectives:

1. To strengthen capacity of research at the intersection of gender and nutrition
2. To generate high-quality evidence on how gender dynamics and decision-making relate to nutrition behavior and outcomes
3. To build a community of practice on gender and nutrition across CGIAR Research Programs and partners

Over the course of two and a half days, participants had the chance to learn from gender and nutrition experts about the state of knowledge on the role of gender in the pathways from agriculture to nutrition. Presenters shared lessons learned from research methods in gender, agriculture, and nutrition and pointed out evidence gaps where more research is needed.

Four training sessions delved into specific concepts and tools:

1. Different approaches to measure decision-making indicators
2. Creative approaches to address practical and ethical research challenges in the field
3. Measuring women’s empowerment using the WEAI and modifications to the WEAI for nutrition
4. Lessons learned from integrating nutrition into a global qualitative study on gender in agriculture.

Throughout the workshop, participants practiced applying these concepts and methods. Substantial group discussion and group work on case studies gave participants the chance to put their learning into practice and to exchange ideas with peers from different institutions and disciplinary backgrounds. Research Clinics allowed participants to consult with senior researchers on project-specific challenges.

Participants learned to see how all of the pathways from agriculture to nutrition are gendered. Gaining tools to conduct gender analyses for agriculture-nutrition programs, participants learned how to avoid harmful unintended consequences and how to identify opportunities to understand, and engage with, gender dynamics to improve nutritional outcomes.

Resources from the workshop proceedings are now available:

• Workshop summary report, which covers the main topics of discussion and provides information on participants and their research
• Workshop overview and agenda, which includes abstracts of each presentation
• Presentations, all available on Slideshare
• Synthesis of existing resources on gender, nutrition and agriculture, created through a brainstorm by workshop participants
• Energy Expenditure and Physical Activity Reference Notes

Videos of the presentations (password to access all videos is "gender"): 

• Gender in agriculture-nutrition pathways and the IDOs
• Moving beyond the Qualitative-Quantitative Divide
• Training Workshop #1: Decision-Making Indicators
• Training Workshop #2: Methods for addressing challenges in the field
• Training Workshop #3: The Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI)
• Training Workshop #4: Learning about Nutrition Using the Global Study on Gender Norms and Capacity for Agriculture Innovation

Records of flipchart notes from workshop sessions are available here:

• A4NH-Session2-Day1
• A4NH-Session3-Day1
• A4NH-Session4-Day2
• A4NH-Session5-Day2
• A4NH-Session6-Day2
• A4NH-Session7-Day3
• A4NH-Session8-Day3
• A4NH-Session9-Day3

This post is part of a blog, the Gender-Nutrition Idea Exchange, maintained by the CRP on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health. To add your comments below, please register with Disqus or log-in using your Facebook, Twitter, or Google accounts. You must be signed-in or registered in order to leave a comment.