Janelle Larson, Arie Sanders and Leif Jensen, of Pennsylvania State University, present "Incorporating gender into research and project design" at the Horticulture Innovation Lab's 2015 annual meeting.
The presentation focuses on the barriers and importance of incorporating gender into international research and development projects, and how to do so using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. The presentation delves into methods for better incorporating gender in international agricultural research projects, such as sensitivity to local gender norms, asking the right questions and understanding ways a proposed intervention may affect men and women differently.
Topics include why does gender matter, gender equity as a basic human right, and available data on women's roles in agriculture. The presentation also identifies barriers to women's participation in agriculture, including:
- Land (quality and tenure)
- Inputs and (natural) resources
- Seeds and technology
- Credit and financial institutions
- Education
- Training
- Labor
- Health and safety
- Market information
- Transportation and mobility
- Non-farm income
- Time
- Agency
- Cultural norms
The presentation also includes a list of discussion questions that were used by researchers in a workshop to improve how gender is considered and incorporated into international research projects.
Larson leads a Horticulture Innovation Lab project focused on empowering women through horticulture in Honduras.
