Conventional gender mainstreaming approaches’ often solely address the symptoms of gender inequality without looking at the underlying causes and as such has not brought the desired gender goals. Gender transformative approaches on the other hand aim to change existing power dynamics, structures, and social norms that are the root causes of gender-based inequality as a means of achieving development objectives.
Over the past years, there has been a growing interest in gender transformative approaches in agricultural development. A range of development practitioners are integrating gender transformative approaches as both a worthy end in itself and a means to better development outcomes.
RAISE-FS organized a learning trajectory to visit gender transformative good practices in the agriculture sector. The good practices were solicited by a scoping study conducted by RAISE-FS project. Subsequently, a team was formed from RAISE-FS regional liaison offices in South, Amhara and Oromia, involving implementing partners’ teams from Hawassa University, Areka and Worabe research centres and SARI. The team conducted a learning visit to three organizations hosting gender transformative approaches in agricultural context. The three cases include:
- Transformative household methodology supported by Ripple Effects in Boditi woreda-Dairy for Nutrition and income (DANI) project
- Social Analysis and Action in village economic and social association groups in Dara woreda supported by CARE (Livelihood for Resilience project)
- Gender model Families in Meskan woreda supported by IFAD (PASIDIP II programme)
The three days learning trajectory involved working sessions with project and partner staff, site visits to approach implementation areas, interview with community participants, discussion with project representatives and local public office experts.
Pathways for change in social norms
Gender transformative change does not necessarily refer to a specific set of activities implemented at a time. It is usually the cumulative result of different actions involving changes at multiple levels. Gender-transformative change, framed as moving toward gender equality, can be examined across three key dimensions. Individual, relational and structural.
The learning trajectory also exhibited gender transformation pathways at these four different levels:
Individual (agency) level change:
At the individual level, participants reiterated several changes resulting from gender transformative approaches interventions. Among these, improvement in knowledge, skills, belief, changes in attitudes towards equality, increased knowledge of one’s rights and enhanced self-esteem are some of the changes attributed to the interventions. In the formal arena, individual changes involved increase in access to personal resources like businesses and income opportunities for women. Through their participation in informal self-help groups, women not only gained access to economic opportunities, but also the confidence and skills to take on new roles in their community.
“Before 2017, the only place I go out to was the market, never have I had the courage to speak in public. After the “kote” meaning ‘gender’ training, my husband and I now fairly share our household tasks as well as all decisions in the house. This training changed mine and my family’s life for good. I now have many responsibilities in the kebele, in my saving group and in the church. I can speak in front of many people without stumbling…our saving is growing from time to time and my husband supports me in every way I do…”
Belaynesh, Dara woreda VESA member.
Changes in gender relations
At relational level, gender norms often dictate men’s and women’s roles, responsibilities and decision-making patterns in the household. Such gender relations influence access to and control over productive relations leaving some groups disempowered. Gender transformative approaches have been observed to bring change in decision making patterns and distribution of roles in families.
Participants of the visit witnessed that gender transformative approaches enabled men to engage more in what used to be regarded as women’s domains (like domestic and care work) which is contributing to women’s increased engagement in productive and other social roles. Decisions on assets, income, expenditures etc. that were previously male-dominated were reported to become shared decisions. As a result of this, family cohesion was strengthened contributing to reduction of violence against women and children.
“My husband used to be very violent towards me and my children…he used to get drunk often and beat me often…he used to be the only one who had the final say on everything…I used to have many health problems as a result of the work burden. All these changed for good after my family took part in the THM, we decide on everything together, we joined the saving group which not only changed our livelihood, but also helped my husband quit drinking, our children are now helping a lot more around the house…I say this training helped us regain our
Boditi woreda Dicha group memberut
love”
Societal/structural level changes
Structures, systems, institutions and social norms play a great role in shaping community roles and actions. At societal level, gender transformative approaches contributed to transform customary laws like marriage rules and roles. Participants reported significant change in cultural restrictions on women which previously limited women’s mobility and their productive capacity. Gender transformative approaches brought a shift in perceptions of women’s capabilities in public positions or decisions. As a result, women representation and remuneration at different productive and political roles, forming economic collectives are some of the outcomes that have been attributed to gender transformative approaches. Rules dictating membership and leadership in farmers’ organizations in which women were previously disfranchised are now evolving to engage women as members and leaders.
Overarching contributions
Organizations are integrating gender transformative approaches to a much wider cause than awareness on gender equality. The different organizations integrated gender transformative methodologies with livelihood and economic interventions in a way that is mutually reinforcing. These methodologies were reported to have largely contributed to development outcomes including livelihood improvement, higher productivity; better access to services and markets; increases in household assets, improved food and nutrition security; reduction in the number of food-insecure months, increased incomes and savings etc.
Lessons learned
Gender equality and women’s empowerment are globally recognized sustainable development goals. Achieving this requires going beyond recognizing the differences between men and women and working to address deep structural barriers at all levels. The learning trajectory on GTAs evidently exhibited the catalytic effects integrating gender transformative approaches in overall organizational as well as development goals. However, taking these gender transformative impacts at scale still remains to be a great challenge. Thus, it is important to design a holistic approach by drawing on the experiences of the different approaches and foster community ownership of the change process in order to achieve a lasting impact in the agriculture sector.
RAISE-FS 