Recent years have witnessed increased frequency and severity of climate extremes, affecting men and women in rural areas who mainly depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and food security.

Socially and culturally ascribed gender roles and responsibilities however, largely determine how men and women each experience the effects of climate change. It is critical that the different options men and women pursue to reduce vulnerability in the face of a changing climate are understood to inform strategy and policy. This takes robust participatory research skills and effective use of qualitative tools to collect, synthesize and analyze data that throw light on how men and women are adapting to climate change and ensuring food security.

The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), and CARE Internationalhave launched a Gender and Inclusion Toolbox to enable the integration of gender into climate change projects. The Gender and Inclusion Toolbox: Participatory Research in Climate Change and Agriculture (PDF) is the result of a long-term partnership between (CCAFS), (ICRAF), and CARE International.

“This manual introduces a wide range of participatory strategies and tools for research to guide the implementation of climate smart agriculture and efforts to achieve food security in rural communities,” said Margaret Kroma, Deputy Director General for the World Agroforestry Centre. “It is intended for NGO practitioners and programme designers interested in diagnostic and action research for gender sensitive and socially inclusive climate change programmes.”

About 50 participants drawn from academia, research and development organizations were present at the launch of the manual held on 15October 2014 at the ICRAF campus in Nairobi, Kenya. 160 participants from around the world followed the event on live-stream. Presenters included Sibyl Nelson of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Nafisa Ferdous of CCAFS and ICRAF, and Agnes Otzelberger of CARE International.

“This toolkit is based out of experience, research and centre-to-centre exchange of knowledge and will evolve in the future,” said Cheikh Mbow, Senior Scientist at the World Agroforestry Centre Climate Change unit. “It is a starting point in collaboration for improved tools and their applicability on the ground.”

Visit the dedicated web site and download the Gender and Inclusion Toolbox: Participatory Research in Climate Change and Agriculture here.