Benin: Gender in rice research reviewed

A workshop held recently at AfricaRice in Cotonou, Benin, reviewed gender in rice research and development, specifically the findings of the study Gender and climate change in stress-prone rice environments in Asia and Africa.

Through the workshop, participants also sought to strengthen research capacity in the region on gender issues and how these may be integrated into the processes of rice research and in technologies.

Attendees of the workshop were gender focal points in AfricaRice member countries Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Uganda, Gambia, Tanzania, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Centrafrique, Chad, Cote d’ Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea, and Niger, who all crafted work plans for implementation this year under the African component of the GRiSP Gender Strategy Plan 2013-14. 

The workshop, held on 6-10 May 2013, was opened by Papa Abdoulaya Seck, deputy director general of AfricaRice. It was held with support from the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP).

Resources for the training component of the workshop were Thelma Paris, senior scientist (socioeconomist-gender specialist) and leader of the Gender Team of GRiSP and Joyce Luis, both from the Social Sciences Division of IRRI.

The event was organized by Aliou Diagne, program leader for innovation systems, policy, and impact assessment; and Rita Agboh-Noameshie, socioagronomist and gender task force coordinator—both of AfricaRice. 


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