Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa MAINSTREAMING GENDER INTO N2AFRICA LEGUME PRODUCTION IN ETHIOPIA Mekdes Alemu Gender Specialist Center for African Family Study (CAFS) 1 ILRI-N2Africa Gender Training Workshop: Mainstreaming Gender into Legume Value Chains December 2014 ILRI Campus, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Why Gender mainstreaming? There is gender inequity due to low status of women and high domestic work It is necessary to address gender inequity & promote gender equality by empowering women small holder farmers to participate and benefit from N2Africa legume grain production Through mainstreaming gender in legume value chains 2

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Goal To see men and women equally Participate and benefit from N2Africa grain legume production 3

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Overall objective The project aims to empower Ethiopian women and hence small holder farmers in the respective project intervention areas to increase participation and benefit from N2Africa legume grain production through mainstreaming gender in the wide spectrum of N2 Africa priority legume value chains. 4

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Specific Objectives Specific objective one: Capacity building Partner organizations need to strengthen their capacity in mainstreaming gender in legume production, marketing, processing and hence empower women and reduce inequity in participation.  The 1 st target :- are gender focal persons of partner organizations directly involved in facilitation of N2Africa gender related activities  The 2 nd target :-are farmers at project implementation sites to be conducted by N2Africa gender focal persons  The 3 rd targets: are stakeholders in the community relevant to enhance gender equity 5

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Specific Objective One 1.We need to organize gender sensitization and training workshops for research, extension, and development partners to understand basic concepts on sex, gender and gender relations 2.Conduct TOTs for gender focal persons on basic gender analysis tools & methods, analyze gender roles in farm household &legume value chains 3.Gender focal persons sensitize farmers on gender inequity and on the roles of women in legume production, marketing and processing through facilitating with experiential learning method… 6

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa The Experiential learning Cycle 7 NEW ACTION leads to new experience Take action Explore Experience Move Pnew Behavior EXPLORE EXPERIENCE from what we know, believe, feel about the topic and share to others Analyze take Stand SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS & and action steps using the five planning fingers what? Why? How? When? Where ? ANALYZ E the issue: causes & effect, advantage disadvantage, weakness strength, positive negative sides, prejudice or factual and take stand The Experiential Learning Cycle

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Gender tools in addressing inequity Understand and act: on gender relations: 1.The division of labor between men and women, who does what work? 2.Who has access & control over resources… 3.Identify interventions disadvantaging women… and 4.Mainstream gender 8

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Specific Objective Two To promote gender specific legume technology &legume product enriched household nutrition Activities: 1.Facilitate legume crops processing & values addition training for women 2.Sensitize smallholder farmers on nutritional values of legume crops 3.Introduce variety of legume enriched household nutrition, food recipe for smallholder farmers. 9

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Specific Objective Three Promote & disseminate gender specific legume production & processing technology Activities 1.Develop labor saving legume tools for female farmers 2.Conduct soybean recipe preparation & demonstration campaigns 3.Identify successful gender specific legume related implementation 4.Identify & support role modeling of development oriented women farmers in legume production & value addition. 5. Conduct experience sharing visits 6.facilitate electronic story documentation 10

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Specific objective Four: Business Opportunities Promote gender equity by creating business opportunities for women in N2Africa legume value chains Targets women farmers in N2Africa project implementation sites. Activities. 1.Organize women in agro-input supply chains & grain marketing at village levels. 2.Train women groups on basic agri-business skill development, business planning & accounting 3.Link women agro-dealers and action groups with local financial institutions, Cooperative Promotion Offices… 11

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Major interventions 1.Prepare gender mainstreaming manual for gender focal persons 2.Conduct training of trainers (TOTs) for gender focal persons. 3.Prepare materials on gender thematic areas relevant for capacity building, training & other interventions 4.Conduct planning & annual review workshops for partners, stakeholder and coordinators 5.Conduct experience sharing visits to role model women & successful gender specific legume related implementation. 6.Conduct post training backstopping follow up and evaluation. 12

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Background information needed on gender legume thematic areas 1.On how to identify and address female limited access &control over legume production & processing. 2.Nutritional values of grain legumes & enriched household food recipe 3. How to organize women in agro-input supply chains & grain marketing 4. Training women in running agri-business, on simple accounting skill 5.Linking female entrepreneurs to financial resources, such as micro financing … 6.On gender sensitive technologies 7. On identifying f emale role models in N2-Africa value chain 13

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Expected outcome 1.Women increasingly participate in legume production 2.Women’s control over legume production increased 3.Women improved their income & have a greater say in the use of such income (empowered). 4.Equal access and control of resources by husband and wife enhanced 5.Improved nutritional quality at household level particularly for women & children 14

Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa Thank you 15