Gender in research
In order to assure the greatest overall impact of its research, the Sorghum and Millet Innovation Lab places strong emphasis on incorporating gender issues into all participating projects. Each proposal submitted to the SMIL is expected to describe the gender issues the research team anticipates encountering, how they will be addressed and how projects will promote equitable participation by women. All projects have gender implications but some will require greater attention than others, in particular, those that are closer to the delivery of new technologies, knowledge, production systems or products.
Gender roles in sorghum production, processing and utilization in Ethiopia
During its first five-year phase, the Sorghum and Millet Innovation Lab commissioned a gender study to assess gender roles and sorghum production/utilization by region in Ethiopia. The regional multi-disciplinary research teams implemented village-level data collection in six different regions using focus group interviews and rapid rural appraisals. The data from those interviews was aggregated into individual regional reports, and can be accessed below.
- Assosa Report (Benishangul-Gumuz Region)
- Bako Report (Western Oromia Region)
- Haramaya Report (Eastern Oromia Region)
- Konso Report (Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region)
- Sirinka Report (Amhara Region)
- Tigray Report (Tigray Region)
- Sample PRA tools used to guide gender and sorghum production study
Resources
The following resources can serve to guide researchers as they design and implement their research project with a clearly integrated gender component.
General:
SMIL Gender Guidelines for Proposal Development
Tips for integrating gender into USAID agriculture sector solicitations
Gender, Agriculture and Assets Project - Led by IFPRI and ILRI
9 tips for incorporating gender into a research project
Country-specific:
Ethiopia
USAID Gender Analysis - Ethiopia
Senegal
USAID Gender Analysis - Senegal
Niger
Conditions des femmes au Niger
Partenariat pour le Genre en Agriculture - Etude de cas au Niger
Mali