Policy formulation to Promote Gender, Climate responsiveness in Agriculture

Kiambu,

Tuesday August 29, 2023

KNA by Wangari Ndirangu

The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) has organised a policy dialogue on promoting gender and climate responsiveness in agricultural policy formulation and implementation.

The policy dialogue is to enhance capacity of ASARECA 15 member countries in gender and climate responsiveness in policy formulation and implementation.

The ASARECA comprises Kenya, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Federal Republic of Somalia, Madagascar, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Speaking during the meeting, ASARECA Executive Director Dr Enock Warinda said there are regional policy gaps and weaknesses when it comes to gender and that the policy will guide the secretariat to effectively mainstream gender.

“Policy is a major component and the mainstreaming will be a component that drives countries and therefore we have to make sure the ministers who form the council of governance organ in ASARECA to come up with good policies that touch on gender and climate smart agriculture interventions.

“We have developed a policy practice tool that will take stock of the various policies, analyze for each of the 15 member states and consolidate results, which will be available to the focal people in each member state and effectively inform formulation,” he said.

Dr Warinda said that the majority of farmers in these countries are women and that access to technology that can make them increase their productivity is a key thing.

“If we don’t have a good gender policy that can help these women to access good climate smart technology then we are failing,” he said, adding that a workable policy that supports women at the local level as farmers and in leadership can be able to influence policy decisions.

Dr Warinda said ASARECA is gearing towards having a gender focal person in every member state, who will be senior government officials working within the agriculture docket, with links to smallholder farmers.

The ASARECA Gender policy that has been validated is a roadmap to a brighter future in agricultural research and development for addressing the challenges faced by gender will transform the regional agricultural landscape for the better.

Dr Ojong Enokenwa, a researcher with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) said they mainly support smallholder farming communities as well as agribusiness in order to complete the value chain that will give women and the youth access to the market.

Subsequently, ASARECA is drafting a policy framework that will help in supporting women and marginalized groups within the agribusiness setup.

“With women making the majority of the agriculture landscape, we need their voices to be heard, not just understanding their challenges, but also what solution they can offer for this discourse,” said Dr. Enokenwa.

Dr Idil Ires, who is leading and an expert in the policy formulation and works for IMWI said they have an extensive outreach in the region and it is important that women and youth are brought in their own perspective to the policy making process in order to improve their livelihoods.

“We will be focusing on understanding policy challenges in the context of sustainable maize intensification and diversification in East and Southern Africa with interest from women and youth farmers,” said Dr Ires.

Challenges of climate change and its effects especially on women is key considering most of the challenges mostly affect them and to some extent youth who comprise the majority of small holder farmers in East and Central Africa.

The workshop brought in experts from all the regional countries, who will be coming up with a plan of action that will be instrumental in pushing the message for implementation

Courtesy ; K. N. A