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| IITA |
Mainstreaming gender in development has several benefits
such as building resilience and sustainability in projects and programs.
Several studies have proven that development projects with strong gender
component tend to have greater impact on the livelihoods of people.
For
instance, analysis from the World Bank, have shown that, in many contexts, more
equitable access to education by women and girls can give very positive returns
in improved family health, greater productivity and reduced family size.
Furthermore, greater health for women impacts positively on the health of other
family members, especially children.
Experience in the area of agriculture has
indicated that the failure of many agricultural programs in developing
countries could be directly related to the neglect of women’s productive roles,
particularly in relation to food crop production. Even in developed societies
such as the United States, a recent report, ”Women, Work and the Economy,”
published by the International Monetary Fund, argues that the economic benefits
of gender equality are particularly high in rapidly aging societies, where
boosting women’s labor force participation could help offset the impact of a
shrinking workforce.
Despite the benefits of gender mainstreaming, the
significance of gender to development is still not well understood among
several actors including development practitioners. Within CGIAR, there are
renewed efforts towards raising awareness on the importance of gender. IITA,
for instance has had a series of gender awareness programs in recent times. But
negative perceptions and often times cultural bias coupled with poor
communication have been a major hindrance to the advancement/acceptance of
gender mainstreaming by stakeholders.
It is in this context that the IITA Cassava Weed Management
Project organized a two-day workshop for its staff and implementing partners at
the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike, 21-22 October 2015.
Listening to Janice Olawoye, a professor at the department
of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ibadan,
opponents and strong critics of the gender movement shifted positions and
embraced gender as a concept to be mainstreamed in every sphere of life. Prof
Olawoye took time explaining the theoretical concepts and the misconceptions
that have undermined the advancement of gender. Prof Olawoye corrected some of
these wrong notions about gender and offered the following food for thought or
better still thought for food.
• Gender is
about females. In reality, gender is not only about females, but considers the
roles, responsibilities, constraints, opportunities, restrictions and
privileges of both males and females.
Prof Olawoye repeatedly stressed this point throughout the training as
well as in the reading materials she offered to participants.
• Gender is
about disempowering men. The fact is: Gender empowerment is not about
disempowering men, but ensuring that everyone is more productive, healthier,
able to earn more and be more fulfilled so that the household attains a better
standard of living. Prof Olawoye argued
that gender should be viewed from a rational perspective, not on the basis of
sentiment.
• The
erudite professor noted that women have always contributed significantly to
household livelihoods and community economies, stressing that, “our
understanding of the role played by women has improved over the past 4 to 5
decades but cautioned that we must not continue to perpetuate the old stereotypes
of women just being housewives.”
• On gender
mainstreaming, Prof Olawoye said it was important to determine how gender
equality/equity could be effectively integrated into the Cassava Weed
Management Project as well as other development activities. According to her,
much of what we have considered to be gender analysis hitherto is simply
describing the sample or target population in terms of their distribution by
sex. “Gender analysis requires that
roles and relationships of males and females be understood and data
disaggregated. Lack of
gender-sensitivity in data collection and analysis will result in inappropriate
interventions,” she added.
She explained that, “there are variations within and between
gender groups as not all females are poor or exploited and not all men are
gender insensitive. Over generalization to all males or all females will lead
to some men and women becoming even more vulnerable.”
She advised that the Project should not only address
immediate needs (practical gender needs), but also address the gender-related
conditions or constraints (strategic gender needs) that may limit a person’s
ability to improve his or her productivity or welfare. “Unless the strategic
gender needs are addressed, no sustainable improvements will be attained,” she
concluded.
Godwin Atser is a
Communication & Knowledge Exchange Expert with IITA, g.atser@cgiar.org
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