Agricultural development interventions in sub-Saharan Africa tend to favour men. They dominate markets and control family income earned from sales. Women do most of the work and receive fewer benefits. Their access to resources and services is often hindered; they have limited control over assets, access to markets, knowledge and social networks, and decision-making authority. In turn, these gender-based resource constraints hamper women’s ability to access and use improved agricultural technologies or engage in resource intensive enterprises. Achieving development objectives and gender equity in the sector require developing the capacity of agricultural value chain actors and enablers.

However, many development and research organizations lack the knowledge and skills to integrate gender approaches into their programs. Not just essential to the achievement of gender equity, such approaches can improve food security and nutrition, and drive agricultural transformation. Therefore, addressing gender-inequity will require increased investment in skills and knowledge for value chain actors and enablers. A starting point is the assessment of current gender capacities to give momentum to the implementation of strategic interventions responding to the needs of both men and women.

To tackle these issues, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) commissioned a team of consultants (Transition International) to support the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish to design a comprehensive gender capacity assessment methodology and tools.

This brief reports on the use of a gender capacity assessment and development methodology and tools in the Ethiopia small ruminant value chain project.

Download the brief: Mulema, A.A., Tafesse, S. and Kinati, W. 2015. Gender capacity assessment and development methodology and tools: The case of Ethiopia. Livestock and Fish Brief 9. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.

The activity was funded through the Livestock and Fish CRP and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-funded SmaRT Ethiopia Project – Improving the Performance of Pro-Poor Sheep and Goat Value Chains for Enhanced Livelihoods, Food and Nutrition Security in Ethiopia.