The process of capacity building, participation and sensitisation supported by the two gender projects certainly strengthened the institutional base in Namibia for using more gender-sensitive, participatory approaches to agricultural development. Based on this experience, our advise to others who would like to support similar processes would include the following:
· Don't underestimate the requirements for carrying out good quality research using PRA. Although the PRA activities of the two projects provided a powerful learning experience to the participants of the training programme, they needed to be backstopped by more experienced, gender aware researchers in order to assure the data would be of sufficient quality to be useful for policy analysis. What undoubtedly helped the research teams do a commendable job despite the lack of backstopping was the fact that gender analysis was an explicit part of the PRA tools.
· Use a non-confrontational approach to training and sensitisation on gender issues based on an exploration of relevant facts. Project activities that applied this approach were very successful at convincing technical staff and policy makers of the importance of gender issues in agriculture. Conversely, project activities that took a more confrontational or women-only focus tended to alienate participants and raise their resistance to the issue.
· Plan for a series of training opportunities to build and use new skills. There is a tendency to underestimate training needs and the inputs needed in order to build skills in gender analysis and participatory approaches, especially at the field level where the training presents a more challenging situation. In Namibia, the training programme consisted of a series of events that were spread out over time and complemented by additional learning experiences. All of this helped to reinforce learning in a group of trainees with little prior exposure to the subject matter.
· Invest in both vertical and horizontal capacity building to create a sustainable, in-country resource. Both the Ministry of Agriculture as well as a few key Namibian organisations now have better knowledge and skills to support gender-responsive, participatory approaches.
· Provide opportunities to introduce management to the approaches to build support for project activities. Gaining the support of MAWRD management turned out to be crucial not only for assuring the success of the projects but also for promoting institutionalisation of the approaches used.
· Promote efforts for incorporating gender concerns as much as possible into mainstream policies, strategies and programmes. The support lent by the National Agricultural Policy to project efforts was significant and can be expected to have a long term impact by providing an enabling environment for gender-responsive approaches to agricultural development in Namibia.
