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Wednesday | 11 December 2024 | Epaper
BREAKING: ● Bangladesh elected Vice President of UN Human Rights Council for 2025       ● CA urges women to come forward to build new Bangladesh       ● BCB announces squad for T20Is against WI      ● 3 killed in Naogaon road crash      ● Bangladesh Bank, IMF 'mull over dollar exchange rate reform'      ● Goods prices to stay below normal during Ramadan: Commerce Adviser      ● Bangladesh's people have high expectations from BNP leaders, workers: Tarique      

Gender-responsive pathways must be focused in our agriculture

Published : Wednesday, 13 November, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 422
Shahrina Akhtar, PhD
As one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, Bangladesh is pioneering efforts to build resilience across various sectors, with a focus on supporting women and marginalized communities, who often bear the brunt of climate impacts. Recognizing that these groups face unique challenges, the country is increasingly focusing on gender-responsive adaptation pathways that integrate women's insights into policy and practice, especially within agriculture, a sector where women play significant but frequently under-resourced roles. Gender Suitability Analysis (GSA) is emerging as an innovative tool, helping guide these efforts and delivering solutions tailored to gender-specific needs.

Why Gender-Responsive Adaptation Matters: Climate change doesn't affect everyone equally. In rural Bangladesh, women are deeply involved in farming and natural resource management, yet they often face systemic obstacles, including limited access to credit, technology, and climate information. These barriers reduce their ability to adapt effectively, making them more vulnerable to crop failures, food insecurity, and economic setbacks. Addressing these gender-specific challenges is crucial for climate adaptation, ensuring that both men and women can adapt and thrive despite environmental changes.

Strengthening Women's Role in Agricultural Resilience: In Bangladesh, women are central to agricultural productivity and food security, yet they face barriers that hinder their full contribution to climate adaptation. Limited access to credit, technology, and decision-making power often keeps women from fully participating in sustainable practices, even as they work on the frontlines of food production. Addressing these inequities through gender-sensitive climate adaptation strategies helps support women's resilience, benefiting entire communities. Equipped with resources and knowledge, women can contribute significantly to sustainable farming practices that enhance food security across the country.

Role of Gender Suitability Analysis (GSA): Gender Suitability Analysis (GSA) is a powerful tool to make climate adaptation efforts genuinely inclusive. This framework evaluates how well policies, programs, and interventions align with the specific needs of women and men within target communities. In Bangladesh, GSA has been applied to climate adaptation initiatives, helping ensure they address the unique roles and challenges of women in agriculture. For instance, GSA can assess if a drought-resilient crop program is accessible to women, including training sessions and the presence of women leaders. By refining such initiatives, GSA ensures tangible benefits for women, enhancing their resilience and productivity.

Women-Centric Adaptation Programs: Women-centric adaptation programs highlight the practical impact of GSA. In flood-prone regions, community initiatives train women in rainwater harvesting and homestead gardening, equipping them with skills to sustain household food supplies during climate disruptions. GSA helps policymakers ensure these programs provide accessible resources and support for women-led groups. Similarly, initiatives introducing salt-tolerant rice varieties in coastal areas through women's farming cooperatives enable knowledge-sharing and access to resilient crops. With GSA, stakeholders ensure that women's active engagement is promoted, leading to more equitable benefits and increased agricultural productivity.

Climate-Smart Agriculture with a Gender Lens: Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is central to Bangladesh's adaptation strategy, and incorporating a gender lens is crucial for effectiveness. Women in rural areas typically manage tasks such as watering and pest control, making them integral to climate-smart practices. For instance, water-efficient irrigation systems and organic pest management align with their daily roles. Gender-responsive CSA programs, which include climate-resilient seeds, mobile information services, and community-based lending, empower women to make informed decisions. By addressing women's needs in CSA initiatives, these programs support their investment in resilient practices, reinforcing their role in building a climate-resilient agricultural sector in Bangladesh.

Gender-Responsive Community Adaptation for Resilience: Bangladesh's adaptation strategies emphasize community-driven approaches, with women often at the forefront. Community-based adaptation (CBA) initiatives involve training women in practices that are locally sustainable, even with limited resources. GSA ensures these programs not only include women but actively address their unique circumstances and challenges.For instance, in flood-prone areas, women are trained to raise livestock on elevated platforms and cultivate floating vegetable gardens. These adaptive practices protect livelihoods and food sources during floods. Through GSA, it's possible to evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives and ensure equitable access to materials, training, and leadership roles for women.

Integrating Gender in Climate Adaptation Policy: Bangladesh's research institutions and government agencies increasingly prioritize gender-sensitive approaches to climate resilience. For example, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has partnered with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to develop salt- and drought-tolerant rice varieties, with outreach programs focused on engaging female farmers in affected areas. This collaboration demonstrates the value of research-driven solutions that address climate challenges while promoting gender equity.National policies such as the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) also integrate gender as a cross-cutting theme. By employing GSA, policymakers can regularly assess how well gender considerations are embedded in adaptation projects, refining programs to enhance gender responsiveness.

Overcoming Challenges in Gender-Responsive Adaptation: Despite significant progress, Bangladesh faces obstacles in fully implementing gender-responsive adaptation strategies. Societal norms and limited resources often restrict women's access to climate-resilient technology and financing. Data gaps on how climate change uniquely affects women's roles in agriculture also hinder targeted interventions. Addressing these challenges requires a continuous improvement of GSA frameworks and greater investment in gender-focused data collection.

Strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems is essential to identifying gaps and refining gender-responsive initiatives. Regular assessments using GSA can reveal areas for enhancement, while training government officials and local leaders in gender-sensitive practices further supports these efforts, aligning projects with both climate goals and social equity.
Building a Resilient and Inclusive Future: Bangladesh is paving the way toward a resilient future by incorporating gender-responsive pathways into climate adaptation and agricultural policies. The role of Gender Suitability Analysis is foundational in ensuring that solutions are equitable and effective, addressing the specific needs of women and marginalized communities. Scaling up investment in gender-responsive research, training, and policy design is essential to achieving sustainable development for all communities across Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's approach to climate resilience is rooted in empowering vulnerable groups, providing a model for other nations facing similar climate challenges. By prioritizing gender in its climate agenda, Bangladesh demonstrates that true resilience is a society where everyone has the tools and resources to adapt, thrive, and contribute. As the nation continues to advance gender-responsive strategies, it reinforces the idea that climate resilience and social equity go hand in hand, inspiring a global movement toward inclusive adaptation.

The writer is a Technical Specialist & Research Adviser, Krishi Gobeshona Foundation


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