Strengthening gender inclusion in agricultural research for more conclusive results in West Africa

Despite the fact that almost half of the world’s population is female, women are poorly represented in the science fields. Many efforts are being made to remove barriers and close the gap created by gender disparities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research. However, in West Africa, gender stereotypes in agriculture make it more difficult to eliminate bottlenecks to the effective inclusion of women in agricultural research.

The overall aim of this project is to develop inclusive and gender-sensitive institutional strategies and policies as well as skills for research and the participation of women scientists in the agricultural sciences in West Africa. This will help promote equitable, sustainable, and productive agricultural systems in support of broader economic and societal transformation. Specifically, the project aims to (i) identify and better understand gender biases to better analyze women’s representativeness and the use of gender approaches in research and training in various agricultural sciences specialties; (ii) develop research methodology in the agricultural sciences that takes gender into account and has an impact on research outcomes; (iii) train women in agricultural specialties where they are marginalized; and (iv) build institutional capacity for the transformation of gender relations in agricultural sciences research and training programs and institutions in West Africa.

This project is part of a cohort of seven projects selected following a call for proposals for the Gender in STEM Research Initiative (GIST). The objective of the cohort is to increase the contribution of science to gender equality. It aims to advance women’s leadership and participation in STEM and to increase gender analysis in STEM research.