Taking a step back to reflect and learn: Key for distilling learning and adaptive management

Prama Mukhopadhyay, Ranjitha Puskur, Deepali Chadha, Hom N. Gartaula

Climate change poses severe risks for farmers around the world, with women and marginalized communities in developing countries experiencing the biggest and worst impacts. The ‘EMPOWER’ work package of the CGIAR Gender Equality Initiative is piloting approaches to tackle these challenges by developing solutions that integrate social and technological innovations to enhance climate resilience and promote gender equity in the agrifood systems. The initiative is facilitating two learning labs in the South and North 24 Parganas districts in West Bengal, India involving 175 women livestock farmers from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.

On September 3-4, 2024, IRRI hosted a Reflection and Learning Workshop in Kolkata, West Bengal, to provide a space for the key actors and stakeholders to take a step back and critically examine and consolidate learning based on project activities and outcomes thus far. Participants included farmer representatives, research and implementation partners such as ICAR-IVRI , RKMVERI , SEVA , Change Initiatives , PRADAN , and MEL partner Sattva Consulting .

Sure and steady transformative change taking root

The reflections revealed how the bundled innovations co-designed with the women farmers have increased their knowledge, skills and confidence in managing their livestock. They are now able to vaccinate their animals independently and in time, alleviating their major challenge of low productivity and mortality of livestock due to diseases. Beyond equipping them with technological know-how and technical skills, the project has also enhanced their social capabilities. They participate in meetings confidently, use mobile phones to communicate with one another, and are all set to market their produce collectively.

A woman…