I would like to highlight some approaches implemented by IFAD in Malawi under the IFAD-funded Programme for Rural Irrigation Development (PRIDE) and the Financial Access for Rural Markets, Smallholders and Enterprise Programme (FARMSE).
These approaches were showcased to twenty-three technical project staff from thirteen different countries (Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Uganda), representing thirteen IFAD-funded projects; one UN Joint Programme (JP RWEE, implemented by IFAD, FAO, WFP, and UN Women); FAO; and WFP during the Learning Route titled "Boosting Gender Transformative Approaches in Rural Development Interventions." This event was organized by the IFAD Gender and Social Inclusion Team and PROCASUR, under the framework of the Joint Programme on Gender Transformative Approaches for Food Security and Nutrition (JP GTA). The JP GTA is a collaboration between FAO, IFAD, and WFP, with financial support from the European Union.
- Theatre for Development (TFD). This is a powerful methodology lead by local communities and youth clubs to enable system-wide changes in relation to unequal gender power dynamics, discriminatory social norms and practices, gender-based violence, teenage pregnancies, and disability exclusion. It raises awareness among people of power asymmetries and stimulates change processes. Performance topics are informed by research activities on gender and are carried out to highlight the norms and dynamics that generate inequality and violence. Community chiefs participate in the dialogue and provide their guidance. With their help, the youth participants identify “problem households” and develop an action plan accordingly. They follow up with these households through periodic visits to maintain commitment to change and assess progress over time.
- Gender Dialogue Sessions (GDSs). These are participatory face to face community forums where community members with support from extension workers discuss pertinent issues on social inclusion; identify their root causes; and develop commitments towards addressing such issues. During the mission, participants joined community members in an interactive discussion around gender-sensitive and inclusive value chains and the challenges associated with these. The process encouraged participants to share their views and ideas on how the issues or challenges can be dealt with. During these sessions, participants generally identify, agree, and document actions that can be undertaken to address the issue at hand. The sessions are held periodically and, in most cases, target the different gender categories or social groups. This approach is enriched by the use of a compendium of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and GALS tools, such as the Gender roles in Agriculture Markets tool; the Gender Balanced Tree; Access and Control profile; the Daily Clock and the Day in the Life tool.
- Financial Action Learning System for Sustainability (FALS) at Scale. FALS is a participatory and inclusive visual entry point methodology for financial empowerment of women and men from all backgrounds, including the ultra-poor. It aims to enable participants to manage financial resources more effectively and to benefit from financial services, including those from community-based financial organisations and, ultimately, the formal financial sector. Focusing on the very immediate issue and need of both women and men – financial planning for livelihoods – it develops the necessary visual communication but also some participatory leadership and planning skills needed to strengthen membership of Community-based Financial Organisations (CFOs). It also helps to foster a gender transformative financial strategy and can be used as an inclusive, quite low-cost, and stand-alone GTA. With the pilot recently conducted in Malawi by FARMSE, with the support of the IFAD Gender Team and financial support of JP GTA, FALS@Scale has been streamlined and simplified, and it has been ensured that it can be an inclusive and accessible methodology for use by CFOs working in particularly disadvantaged contexts and communities with high levels of illiteracy. The FALS package is currently being piloted by two VSLAs. It includes the following tools: the Vision Journey; the Happy Family Tree (to analyse how women and men can change unequal work, expenditure, decision-making and property relations); the Financial Empowerment Map (identifies the pros and cons of a range of potential sources of finance and how they can contribute to achieve the vision); and the Financial Management Calendar (brings all the previous analysis together as a costed loan proposal for a manageable investment). This approach was piloted and further strengthened through the Joint Programme on Gender Transformative Approaches.
For more information please also see the case studies presented here https://padlet.com/Procasur/learning-route-boosting-gendertransformative-approaches-gtas-1obxds1txozjepu2/wish/O7A9Qmrm8RA9Z6x3
I hope this contributes to the ongoing discussion.
Best regards,
Silvia
Silvia Sperandini
Gender, Targeting and Social Inclusion Specialist for the Gender Team
the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Silvia Sperandini