1. Participatory Gender Training for Farmer Groups
Stephanie Leder
Kathmandu/Nepal office

2. Why?/ So what? Problem 1: Gendered divisions of agricultural labor
a triple work burden for women
gendered norms on mobility, speaking up and being heard
hinder women to take up agricultural interventions and to contribute to (collective) farmer groups to their full potential.
How can farmers work effectively as groups and take up interventions,
both men and women being aware of and acting upon those gendered restrictions?
My gender research within the
Problem 1:
Gendered divisions of agricultural labor
a triple work burden for women
gendered norms on mobility, speaking up and being heard
hinder women to take up agricultural interventions and to contribute to (collective) farmer groups to their full potential.
DSI4MTF project identified two central problems
How can farmers work effectively as groups and take up interventions,
both men and women being aware of and acting upon those gendered restrictions?

3. Learning theories (argumentation for critical thinking)
Problem 2:
Lack of participatory gender training approaches for farmers based on science:
Learning theories (argumentation for critical thinking)
Neurodidactic research (visualization, interaction)
Brain-based principles (network thinking)
As well as…
Participatory principles around farmers’ capabilities, value system, beliefs and existing agricultural practices
Culturally grounded, yet gender transformative training approach
Cost-effective to upscale within NGOs/GOs
Problem 2:
Lack of participatory gender training approaches for farmers based on science:
Learning theories (argumentation for critical thinking)
Neurodidactic research (visualization, interaction)
Brain-based principles (network thinking)
As well as…
Participatory principles around farmers’ capabilities, value system, beliefs and existing agricultural practices
Culturally grounded, yet gender transformative training approach
Cost-effective to upscale within NGOs/GOs

4. How? Let’s DISCUSS with the farmers!
How can we address gender norms, roles and relations affecting agricultural productivity?
A gender-sensitive approach to water management in the context of male emigration:
How? Let’s DISCUSS with the farmers!
The participatory gender training was developed, piloted, implemented and comparatively evaluated across different projects for WLE (DSI4MTF, Gender circles, Anukulan)
in 12 villages in the Far West of Nepal and the Terai; West Bengal and Bihar, India
24 trainings with approx. 65 community mobilizers/field staff of 15 NGO/GOs
Approx. 200 farmers, to be upscaled targeting households
So we asked, how can we address gender norms, roles and relations affecting agricultural productivity?
Our aim is to develop a gender-sensitive approach to water management in the context of male emigration.
How?
Let’s DISCUSS with the farmers!
The participatory gender training was developed, piloted, implemented and comparatively evaluated across different projects for WLE (DSI4MTF, Gender circles, Anukulan)
in 12 villages in the Far West of Nepal and the Terai; West Bengal and Bihar, India
24 trainings with approx. 65 community mobilizers, NGO/GO (field) staff
Approx. 200 farmers, to be upscaled targeting households

5. When can this manual be used?
1) When new projects are starting in villages and community groups are formed. The training can be used to sensitize field staff and farmers on gender relations in communities.
2) When there are gender-related tensions in a community, e.g. when men are out-migrating and women are “left behind”.
3) When conducting participatory research to understand how gender effects community relations and agricultural practices in villages.
So what I would like to present here is the OUTPUT – THE MANUAL, meant to be used by
community mobilizers/field staff
non-governmental organization (NGO) staff
government staff
researchers
When can this manual be used?
1) When new projects are starting in villages and community groups are formed. In this case, the training can be used to sensitize field staff and farmers on gender relations in communities.
2) When there are gender-related tensions in a community, e.g. when men are out-migrating and women are “left behind”
3) When conducting participatory research to understand how gender effects community relations and agricultural practices in villages.
The table of contents includes some background knowledge on gender, empowerment and participatory approaches, as well as 6 Gender Training Modules, 3 activities, as well as 3 discussions, evaluation sheets and material to print out.

6. Principles of the training: Participants are encouraged…
1) to reflect on their own gender perceptions and roles in their households and community
2) to critically review gendered agricultural and domestic labor division
3) to develop argumentation skills to resolve conflicts and evoke empathy by switching roles
Principles of the training: Participants are encouraged…
1) to reflect on their own gender perceptions and roles in their households and community
2) to critically review gendered agricultural and domestic labor division
3) to develop argumentation skills to resolve conflicts and evoke empathy by switching roles
Here you can see the page introducing the activity “boy or girl”, step by step explained in detail, with all material needed, ready to cut out.

7. The Outcome: A Gentle Gender Transformation
Gender sensitivity brings enthusiasm, empathy and creates space for DISCUSSION and AGENCY for BOTH men and women
The training intends to increase farmer group interaction and empathy through discussions on collective support and the willingness to mitigate the gendered division of labor.
The training promotes bargaining skills which equip farmers to confidently negotiate with their group members, landlords and others in cases of conflicts.
The Outcome: is, what I call, a Gentle Gender Revolution:
Gender sensitivity brings enthusiasm, empathy and creates space for DISCUSSION and AGENCY for BOTH men and women
The training intends to increase farmer group interaction and empathy through discussions on collective support and the willingness to mitigate the gendered division of labor.
The training promotes bargaining skills which equip farmers to confidently negotiate with their group members, landlords and others in cases of conflicts.
Note that this is not easily measurable, as we are talking here of a social transformation within agriculture. Therefore we need to convince donors with arguments, not numbers.

8. What Next?
Participatory principles and the gender-sensitive approach developed in this study can be adopted and used in IWMI research projects or by WLE project partners (NGOs, CBOs, GOs) which firstly aim at raising awareness on gender roles and gendered behaviour and how this influences the adoption of agricultural interventions and trainings.
Next steps:
Translation into Nepali and other languages
Film to introduce the training modules
CGIAR/ WLE Webinar
Interactive interface for the WLE homepage
Continuous monitoring and evaluation of uptake
What next?
Participatory principles and the gender-sensitive approach developed in this study can be adopted and used in IWMI research projects or by WLE project partners (NGOs, CBOs, GOs) which firstly aim at raising awareness on gender roles and gendered behaviour and how this influences the adoption of agricultural interventions and trainings.
Next steps:
Translation into Nepali and other languages
CGIAR/WLE Webinar
Film to introduce the training
Interactive interface for the WLE homepage
Continuous monitoring and evaluation of uptake

9. Encouraging open discussions in gender-sensitive trainings is the key to sustainable agriculture
Download, print and share the manual:
Thank you!
Encouraging open discussions in gender-sensitive trainings is the key to sustainable agriculture
Download, print and share the manual: