Workshop on gender transformative approaches consolidates JP GTA legacy
10 february 2025
A two-day workshop on gender transformative approaches (GTAs) in October 2024 brought together 35 gender experts from FAO, IFAD and WFP, as well as representatives from the European Union, to strengthen technical capacity for developing and implementing GTAs across the United Nations Rome-based Agencies (RBAs).
The workshop took place at WFP headquarters in Rome, Italy on 30-31 October 2024, during the final months of implementation of the Joint Programme on Gender Transformative Approaches for Food Security and Nutrition (JP GTA). It contributed to two of the JP GTA’s key objectives: to enhance synergies among the RBAs and to increase their competency to integrate GTAs in policy engagement and projects.
Building capacity on GTAs
Workshop sessions built on the knowledge generated by the JP GTA, captured in a series of guidelines, tools and studies, and its experience of piloting GTAs through collaborative, inter-institutional projects in Ecuador and Malawi.
In addition to consolidating basic knowledge about the theory of change for gender transformative programming and various gender transformative methodologies, participants familiarized themselves with the step-by-step process of integrating a gender transformative approach throughout the project cycle; discussed examples of social and gender norms assessments; reflected on lessons and recommendations based on diverse experiences of implementing GTAs; and delved into tools to measure gender transformative change.
Carol Yangni, IFAD’s Gender and Social Inclusion Officer for the West and Central Africa Region, who travelled from Côte d'Ivoire to join the workshop, commented: “What resonated with me was learning about different GTAs. In IFAD we have been using household methodologies – the Gender Model Family, Household Mentoring – but it is helpful to know that there are plenty more approaches that can be adapted, especially for projects where we need to cover different spheres: individual, household, institutional and macro.”
RBA cooperation and the way forward
Collaboration between the three RBAs has lain at the heart of the JP GTA since its inception, and the benefits of having the Joint Programme as a platform for cooperation were reiterated by many participants. The workshop presented a unique opportunity for knowledge exchange across different organizations, regions and areas of focus or expertise.
“As the core organizations in charge of global food security, guaranteeing that you work well together in an efficient, effective and impactful way is fundamental to deliver on your overall goal – combatting hunger and malnutrition, and building a more just food system worldwide,” Laura Gualdi, Programme Manager for Unit F.3 (Sustainable Agri-Food Systems and Fisheries) in the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships, who represented the European Union in the JP GTA’s Steering Committee.
As part of the legacy of the JP GTA, all three agencies plan to scale up their gender transformative portfolio. For instance, FAO has committed to include gender transformative actions in 10% of its projects by 2030, while at least 35% of IFAD projects between 2025 and 2027 need to be classified as gender transformative at design. Meanwhile, WFP’s 2022 Gender Policy includes a strong focus on transformative change for women and girls. “Building on the evidence from this Programme, it’s time to think about how we can sustain our commitment to gender transformative programming, intensify efforts and build on this foundation to focus on what we can do, where and for what reason,” said Brenda Behan, Director of WFP’s Gender Equality Office during her opening remarks.
Exhibition of GTA visualizations
WFP used the workshop as an opportunity to raise broader awareness of GTAs among its staff by exhibiting a series of nine infographic boards that were originally drawn during the JP GTA’s inception workshop in 2019. The boards feature visualizations of various aspects of GTAs, such as the theory of change, experiences of application across different levels, and a stocktake of GTAs within FAO, IFAD and WFP.
The JP GTA was implemented from 2019 to 2024 by the three United Nations Rome-based Agencies – FAO, IFAD and WFP – in collaboration with and through financial support from the European Union.
Image credits: © FAO/Fiona Funke
Visualizations by Lucia Fabiani at The Value Web
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