Report of Workshop on What Will It Take? Challenges and Strategies for Putting Women at the Center of Global Food Security9 December 2008Gates Foundation OfficeWashington, D.C.
Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN) and the IFAD North American Liaison Office organized a one day meeting with representatives of African women farmers, foundations, UN agencies, World Bank, US based NGOs, private sector companies and the US government to generate ideas to think critically together about the challenge of accelerating current efforts to recognize and address gender in agriculture and to empower women farmers and rural producers by addressing the following questions: How can we ensure that women are at the center of the global effort to sustainably grow and market more food, fuel, and fiber? More specifically, where there is momentum to make agriculture a high priority, what would it take to guarantee that women are at the center of such initiatives? What are some creative, fresh, and innovative ways to promote the recognition of and support for women's central role in pro-poor agricultural development?
Introduction and Panel Presentations to Set the Context
Jeannette opened the meeting, remarking on the unique opportunities presented by the timing of reforms of global institutions, the persistent food crisis, looming climate change impacts and responses that are prompting people around the world to deeply re-examine assumptions and approaches to feed the world, lead the poor out of poverty and heal the planet. But despite the data on the primary roles women play in agricultural production, food security and marketing, their larger numbers amongst the poorest of the poor and the multiplier effects for children and other family members that result when women receive benefits, the world's institutions persist in their neglect or marginalization of gender issues, and do not, in fact, see the farmer as female. What will it take to change this?
We feel compelled to answer this question, she stated, to initiate a process of unpacking the reasons for this almost universal neglect of women farmers and to explore with a group of innovative thinkers, ways to accelerate momentum on gender and agriculture. We believe that the ideas of a diverse group of representatives from government, non-government, private sector and philanthropic organizations can begin to build a common understanding of current challenges and opportunities, to construct a common framework that can help to align and synergize our organizational initiatives and to generate new ideas to enrich strategies for accelerating momentum in this area.
She stated that the objectives and outcomes are as follows:
Objectives Explore major challenges Identify opportunities to bring about change Identify innovative strategies and approaches
Outcomes A common understanding of challenges and opportunities Agreement on some key strategic priorities and leverage points Identification of possible follow-up
Welcome to the Heart CaféParticipants were then asked to introduce themselves, adding to their own introduction information about one person they would have liked to bring with them to this gathering. Mothers, grandmothers, political leaders, women farmers, entrepreneurs, husbands, African girl children ("the Boss" at the Gates Foundation) and others were described in relation to the topic of the workshop.
Six participants then briefly described the context of women farmers, the World Bank, UN and donor countries, the US government and NGOs, foundations and the private sector.
Linda Nghatsane kicked off the discussion by focusing the group's attention on women farmers' needs and interests, recalling a slogan of women of South Africa to demand their access to decisions and planning: "nothing about us without us". She identified the challenges of women farmers as those of: attitudes of planners who treat women like children, little access to land and credit, low literacy levels, old technologies that don't reduce drudgery and the impact of HIV/AIDs on rural livelihoods. Putting women farmers at the center requires providing them with decision making roles in policy formulation and implementation, leadership development, strengthening of cooperatives and commodity associations, reorientation of institutions and partnerships with global organizations and networks like WOCAN.
Eija Pehu described the World Bank's policies and programs on gender and agriculture/rural development, emphasizing the growing interest in gender and agriculture noted in the World Development Report, quantitative targets issued by the top leadership, the Gender and Agriculture Sourcebook, and the Smart Economics Plan. She stated that a shortcoming is that of internal accountability - that new, cutting edge thinking is needed, to devise approaches that are more ethical, addressing both social and economic issues.
Cheryl Morden stated that the Comprehensive Framework for Action of the UN has drawn attention to the need to deal with food emergencies, social protection and safety and productive inputs to small holder farmers. Due to the focus on small holders, it was possible to get a reference to gender within the document, though women are portrayed as a vulnerable group. There is now a High Level Taskforce forming for this, giving a space for Civil Society organizations. A conference at the end of January on food security will be under a Right to Food framework, to mobilize around 1 billion Euro of funds. The G-8 has formed a partnership on global agriculture and food.
Asma Lateef expressed her opinion that gender and agriculture is new in the US government, noting that only with the food crisis has agriculture become important and that only the MCC has attended to gender issues. The Luger bill for food security has made only a passing reference to women; gender gets 1-2 sentences in the Roadmap to Food Security and Hunger. Neither is there a reference to gender or agriculture in the Foreign Aid reform, but there are opportunities. Congressman Berman, President Elect Obama, and Hillary Clinton would all support this.
Haven Ley stated that she wasn't able to represent the diverse interests within the whole philanthropic community, but stressed that many large foundations have lost significant amounts of their endowments - some up to 1/3. With these lower levels of funding available, she sees more coordinated efforts among foundations, more small pilot projects. Women's foundations are now looking at agriculture, and agriculture related foundations are looking at gender (ie McKnight Foundation).
Kimberly Easson spoke of how Fair Trade works with 1500 businesses, and how the coffee industry has influenced other businesses to become Socially Responsible. Trends that she has noticed are that products are linked to local growers, there is a greater transparency in supply chains, and businesses are increasing donations to women's projects, for income diversification. Opportunities exist where these businesses are looking to create networks of women. Fair Trade certification involves over 1 million small farmers, producing over 40 products. Farmers themselves are at the heart of the development of these standards, and can create incentives for women's participation. There has been an acceptance of women as leaders, in cooperatives; some companies observe that when women lead, the result is a better performance. Kimberly spoke of the International Women's Coffee Alliance, which connects women in consuming countries with growers, to provide tools, information, training and funds; this group has gained space at the table of the International Coffee Congress.Heart of the Matter Café: Three rounds of conversations were held at five tables, to address the question that follows, with participants moving to new tables after 20 minutes. Participants wrote their insights and key points directly onto the table cloths.
Question for the Heart of the Matter Café Conversation:"At this critical juncture, when the world is refocusing attention on agriculture and food security, what new, innovative, or more strategic ways can ensure that women are at the center of global efforts to sustainably grow and market more food, fuel, feed and fiber?"
Conversation of the Whole: Wall Post-its
Participants walked around the tables to view what had been written by others on the tablecloths, then wrote one insight, idea or question to contribute to the Conversation of the Whole (via a post-it tacked to the wall). These were then grouped as follows:
Productivity & Welfare
Address gender inequalities across value chains by changing institutions & changing resources for women.
Target technical & market info & related resources to women farmers in ways they can access & use them.
Serious need to look to technologies to improve productivity & welfare.
Identify the Corporate role
Create work support system child care labor saving technologies medical care
Science / tech / investment seeds extension land
Organization & Capacity Building
Organize! Power of collective action
Provide funds + support to women-led organizations at all levels through demand-driven process, and link them together.
In US institutions: organize, advocate - use political structures (new area) to require accountability for gender integration and poverty outcomes.
Need new people, stories, data, information to get people engaged.
Transformation of institutions and leaders. - Make them see what we are seeing now. - Invest on women and girls.
Organize: Nurture, provide opportunities for local leaders to change society from within. Role models Informal and formal capacity building External funders mandate change Social advocacy (?) campaign
Capacity building
Needs-based capacity building at all levels
Accountability
Voice: women informed to affect policy → greater accountability
Voice: men valued to promote gender equality
Institutional accountability through conditionality
Mechanisms for strengthening accountability
Accountability through score-cards / certification (condition for funding). Peer pressure by communicating results.
Establish common priorities for action at each of many levels.
Institutional accountability on gender - incentives and objectives.
Mechanism for accountability to ensure women benefit (quotas, targets, indicators) - external public (score cards, indices)
Leader commitment from MDG Torch campaign
Institutional agreement on the what & accountability on the how at all levels Donor Government "Follow the money" - Thru carrots ( financial incentives) + sticks (accountability, scorecards, checklists)
Institutional accountability Public / private Different scales Comparative indices Impact / positive stories
DataData & research
Requires major effort - new & better packaged data - and mandate from new administration.
Public fora for data, cases and evidence
Defining research focus and priorities
New data & analysis
Gender preferences in agriculture R&D upstream
Reframing the Discourse
Ag policy & interventions => Incentives & opportunities
External facilitators should adopt an entrepreneurial approach aimed at increasing prosperity (not a poverty based approach)
Review myths around women and agriculture technology
Gender sensitive indicators
Let women tell their stories, and let these stories shape the plan for global discourse.
Increasing women's resources → bargaining power → changed gender roles & cultural change (incentives and opportunities)
Framing the message that women are powerful agents of change.
See agriculture as business opportunities, not social welfare realm.
People have disappeared from agriculture
Symbiotic relationship (yin/yang circle from table 4) Agriculture | Non-Agriculture (in the yin | yang.) male & female symbol (just below & on either side of yin | yang circle.) (This graphic describes vision of mutuality referred to in next post-it.)
Environmental "conversion"→ understanding vision of mutuality → putting people back into agriculture → understanding fundamental role of women, gender equality & gender "mutuality" in environmentally, socially, and ultimately economically, sustainable agriculture.
Agric as a business opportunity, not an elaborate food - for - work scheme
Better public communication & existing use of data
Shift "investing in agriculture" discourse to investing in people - women & men → the farming household
Refocus system ie: $, measures, programs, incentives → people focused w/ priority on organized women as change agents
Advocacy
Identify, connect and fund champions who agree to act as change agents vis-à-vis agr orgz (NGO's, private sector, donors, decision makers)
We need to nurture agents of change at all levels, global, national and community levels + accountability
"One Q campaign" - task force to provide strategic support to policy makers
Nurture "The Boss" as change agent
Develop, sustain, support champions 4 women & gender equality
Promote "One Question" everyone should ask (a la "The Boss")
Differentiating and then linking advocacy w/technical gender analysis
Gender Impact Strategy and Portfolio, Gates Foundation Agricultural Development
The new Gender Impact Strategy and Portfolio of the Gates Foundation was presented at this gathering as one innovative strategy to address the needs of women farmers. Gender Impact Strategy and Portfolio, Gates Foundation Agricultural Development
Introduced by Haven and Dee, the Gender Strategy and the Portfolio lies within Gates' Global Agriculture Development Strategy. The Ag Team focuses on the smallholder, working in four areas that both hold the greatest opportunities for improving agricultural value chains and which may have been neglected by other funders, including 1) science and technology; 2) farmer productivity; 3) market access; and 4) policy and statistics. The Ag Team work is aimed to showdirect impact on the life of ‘the boss" - the African girl whose photo appears on computers to remind officers of the need to keep her needs central to their planning. Overall success of the strategy will measure on household indicators on income and nutritional status, so there is a need to build the capacities of grantees to measure these levels.
Following Haven's discussion of the overall Ag Development Strategy, Dee introduced the 5-7 year Gender Strategy and Portfolio. Mainstreaming gender across the four existing Agriculture Strategy components and systems will account for approximately 50% of the Portfolio. Each component of the Ag Development Strategy has a key focus (e.g., crop improvement under Science and Technology), and this focus will also guide the gender mainstreaming emphases. Some tools for reviewing grants proposals and working with grantees to effectively mainstream attention to gender have already been developed (assisted by ICRW and IFPRI) and others are planned. The mainstreaming criteria will allow the Foundation to discontinue grants that do not maintain their efforts to integrate gender, e.g., if a grantee established a gender action plan to hire women but does not follow through.
The balance of the Gender Portfolio will fund grants to support groups doing key research to build the evidence base for gender in agriculture and/or implementing activities that can help to address three additional topic areas: to improve women's abilities to work more productively, increase their control and ownership of productive resources, and to benefit from the provision of key agricultural services (e.g., research and extension) by supporting organizational change. Smaller grants will be given as pilots, to test innovations, and the foundation wants to support local organizations, including some related advocacy efforts.
Discussion:
Child nutrition is a good indicator of women's status (Annina), but there was concern raised about using household income as a measure, without disaggregating men's and women's income streams (Cheryl) It would be useful to work on influencing national statistical mechanisms that collect agricultural census data (Ginny Seitz) Achieving changes in property rights is difficult, so the Foundation will be looking carefully at what they can fund that is new, given the number of other agencies working on property rights Roles for networks like WOCAN? (Isatou) There is huge need for local networks, and for research on client needs and profiles. Several people commented on the need to encourage and support advocacy efforts earlier on in the portfolio sequence. Haven noted that the BMGF does fund advocacy within grants and is encouraging grantees to link up with groups already on the group in the countries that grantees are working in. There was support for the focus topics for the gender portfolio, e.g., the attention to control and use of assets as well as ownership (Martha); the orientation to "prosperity enhancement" (Isakou); the prioritization of topics (Agnes). Very few foundations have staff to work specifically on gender and agriculture Grantees may prove to be the limiting factor, as the current batch are mostly traditional male dominated organizations that focus on a transfer of technology; is there a way to fund women's organizations? (Jeannette) The GF may be able to make smaller grants that can do this.
Heart of the Matter Café: Group discussion of themes that emerged in the post-its
1. Advocacy Idea of "gender commandos" - Need a network engaged at high levels, and all levels, to introduce gender on a regular basis. Move from ad hoc to planned campaigns, using levels (or fora) within the UN system: 2009 Commission on Status of Women, this year's session on "Equal Sharing of Responsibilities between Women and Men". Get something organized there on women and agriculture. MDG 2010 - Need space in 2010 MDG summit for leaders to make commitments to gender Danish Torch Campaign
Men's Roles: men are the elephants in the room. Men's roles need to be highlighted and valued (as gender advocates, spokespersons, change agents)
Critical venues / moments emerging - Must make Obama administration aware - must organize to get message to key Obama people, including Susan Rice
"Adopt a Policy Maker"- part of follow-up strategy could be to target key policy makers / gate keepers to "adopt." Make it our business to educate them on gender, keep them informed, provide them with arguments, analysis, talking points, draft legislation etc. This approach recognizes importance of relationships building to advocacy.
2. Accountability• Who establishes & implements accountability standards? Is gender included in existing accountability measures? (thought to be non-existing now)
Indicators - can't get at accountability without discussion of indicators. Need indicators of poverty reduction - not necessarily household income, but household wellbeing, then need to train field workers and others up the chain on indicators.
3. Data & Research
A lot of data exists but is poorly communicated and circulates in the same circuits. No policy punch. How to make public domain research more widely available? e.g FAO Another missing piece (need for new research): Need data / information on growing power of multinationals to buy from small holders - or put women into factories (high value horticulture exports?). Also impact of foreign land purchases on women (EG: For ex oil rich countries buying land in SS Africa for industrial agriculture to feed their own populations at home.)
Data & research closely linked to reframing a new image of women, so that stereotypes are not reinforced
4. Reframing the Discourse
need to review old myths & debunk myths and narratives of women as overburdened, incapable, victims, clients. Must test & confront these stereotypes. Researchers' initial mindset influences data collection. Important to go into the field with open mindset to question & confront myths.
need to think through key visuals and messages carefully. Need strong, positive video, images visual campaign of African women entrepreneurs. Need strong, positive messages that show that gender transformation enables nations to thrive and surge forward. Gender transformation is positive, opportunity rich, and benefits ALL.
5. Productivity & Welfare This is area where there are most gaps (eg: fewest ideas generated in the table conversations and on post-its put up by participants). Want to elaborate more practical ideas and recommendations for on the ground action.
Ideas for Followup
Have another session focused on productivity & welfare to brainstorm ideas for on the ground, practical recommendations;
But must link on the ground, practical to what is going on in the broader context. We are at a critical moment in the international institutional process of defining the food crisis and the agricultural response. Things are moving fast - must advocate to get gender in fast (Cheryl).
international institutions are important, but huge opportunity happening right now in DC redefining US foreign operations. We need to map out key gender points to bring to this process. NEPAD process also occurring over next 2 years. These are also critical institutional structures / processes that need to be targeted. (Julie)
We need strategic thinking about division of labor (among participants of today's workshop) - from across all our different institutions.
Need a follow-up process to develop a strategy to promote gender through all the different institutional contexts - International - UN; US foreign aid reform process; G8 - champion this at June 20009 G8 (or G20)
Need an explicit focus or forum where space is made for women and for reporting on what is happening to women in agriculture. Develop WOCAN network to do this? Use the WARM Network to do this?
One question campaign - if all of us asked "How do you see that affecting rural women?" and delivered single message at all the fora, venues, meetings we attend, we can raise awareness and accountability. We need to target technocrats, knowledge-makers, connectors, sales people, by crafting messages that stick
Need to promote enabling environments
Need to bring in more private sector representation to this process
Need to meet again to develop a roadmap and division of labor, to identify networks, important events and processes where the One Question can be put forthNext Steps
1. organize a second meeting to develop a ‘roadmap', to map out key events/opportunities for presenting the message, and coordinate advocacy efforts2. organize another session with different participants, to brainstorm ideas for on-the-ground, practical recommendations and actions3. develop simple messages to communicate to the general public and decision makers4. make use of networks like that of WOCAN and WARM to provide progress reports and to maintain the energy/initiative
ThanksWOCAN and IFAD would like to express their gratitude to the Gates Foundation for providing the meeting room, breakfast, lunch and the gracious help of their staff. We would also like to express thanks to Kathy Coon, for her willingness to type up the writings on the tablecloths and post-its.
AGENDA
8:30 - 9:00 Arrival and Breakfast9:00 - 9:30 Welcome, introductions, warm up - Jeannette Gurung9:30 - 10:30 Setting the ContextLinda Nghatsane (South African farmer)Eija Pehu (World Bank)Cheryl Morden (UN and donor countries)Asma Lateef (U.S.) Haven Ley (foundations)Kimberly Easson (private sector)
10:30 - 12:00 World Café Conversations - Cheryl Morden What are the leverage points that could make a difference in the extent to which women are a key focus of the response to the global food crisis? What are the specific actions needed to affect this leverage? What would contribute to an environment that would enable these actions?
12:00 - 1:00 Conversation of the Whole
1:00 - 1:30 Lunch
1:30 - 2:45 Presentation and discussion on the Gender and Agricultural Development Portfolio White Paper, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - Dee Rubin, Haven Ley
2:45 - 3:30 Discoveries, insights, conclusions, next steps - Cheryl Morden
Participants' List
Participants Organizations Email1 Mark Blackden IFC and consultant mblackden@comcast.net2 Susy Cheston Opportunity International scheston@opportunity.org3 Kathy Coon Consultant kcoon@his.com4 Kimberly Easson TransFair keasson@transfairusa.org5 Jeannette Gurung WOCAN jeannettegurung@wocan.org6 Karen Hansen-Kuhn Action Aid Karen.Hansen-Kuhn@actionaid.org7 Martha Hirpa Heifer International Martha.hirpa@heifer.org8 Julie Howard Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa Howardj6@vpga.msu.edu9 Isatou Jack International Relief and Development Mambouygaye12@verizon.net10 Asma Lateef Bread for the World alateef@bread.org11 Haven Ley Gates Foundation Haven.ley@gatesfoundation.org12 Annina Lubbock IFAD a.lubbock@ifad.org13 Rekha Mehra ICRW rmehra@icrw.org14 Cheryl Morden IFAD c.morden@ifad.org15 Linda Nghatsane Farmer from South Africa lnghatsane@gmail.com16 Eija Pehu World Bank epehu@worldbank.org17 Agnes Quisumbing IFPRI a.quisumbing@cgiar.org18 Catharine Ragasa World Bank cragasa@worldbank.org19 Dee Rubin Cultural Practice drubin@culturalpractice.com20 Kathy Selvaggio ICRW kselvaggio@icrw.org21 Virginia Seitz MCC seitzv@mcc.gov
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