Call for participation: Manifeseto for Integrated Action on the Gender Dimension in Research and Innovation

The Manifesto for Integrated Action on the Gender Dimension in Research and Innovation that is available to read and sign at  http://bit.ly/rLS7cn, which was presented to the EC Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Maire Geoghegan-Quinn on December 16th, 2011.  The Manifesto is the product of an extensive public consultation and discussion conducted as part of the 1st European Gender Summit (http://www.gender-summit.eu), which took place on 8-9 November 2011 in Brussels, under the patronage of the Polish EU Presidency, the European Commission, and the European Parliament. 3400 scientists from across Europe, US, and beyond have already added their names to the list of signatories since the Manifesto was launched on-line on December 19th.  I very much hope that you will consider joining them.  The timing is important because right now  policy makers at national and EU level are debating post-FP7 research directions and R&D spending within HORIZON 2020, as well as the proposed European Research Area.   Included in the framework proposals for both are explicit requirements for addressing gender issues in research content, cultures and participation.  Through the Manifesto we can persuade policy makers that scientists support these actions.

Dissertation Research Fellowships on Gender and Agriculture: Call for Applications

IFPRI and its partners are pleased to announce a call for applications for Ph.D. dissertation research fellowships on the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI). The first of its kind to directly capture women’s empowerment and inclusion levels in the agricultural sector, the purpose of the Index is to understand why women in developing countries face persistent obstacles and economic constraints to inclusion in the agriculture sector though they play a critical role in agricultural growth.

Released on February 28, 2012, the Index is a partnership among IFPRI, the US Government’s Feed the Future initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) of Oxford University. Read more about the Index here.

The threefold goal of the fellowship is to strengthen understanding and evidence of the WEAI; expand understanding of WEAI dynamics through complementary qualitative and ethnographic work; and support promising researchers interested in gender and agriculture. Research proposals supported under this call must be focused entirely or mostly on one or more of 19 Feed the Future countries, listed here.

Applicants must be full-time Ph.D. students in the social sciences or humanities and complete all Ph.D. requirements except dissertation by the time the fellowship begins.

Click here for the complete call for proposals and here for the application is attached to this post. Proposals are due July 31, 2012 and will be awarded on August 31, 2012.

Event: European Gender Summit 2011

Knowledge and innovation are key drivers for sustainable growth and prosperity in Europe. Extensive research has demonstrated that the quality of research and development benefits significantly from adding gender as a critical success factor. The first European Gender Summit, to be held in November 2011 in Brussels, will network key players from all sectors to initiate the much-needed changes in the culture of research and innovation. Joint discussions will produce the first ever collective agreement on policy development on gender for innovation, the policy manifesto on “Integrated Action on the Gender Dimension in Research.” Read more here: http://www.gender-summit.eu/index.php

Publication: Governing Climate Funds: What Will Work for Women?

As the international community mobilizes in response to global climatic changes, climate funds must ensure the equitable and effective allocation of funds for the world’s most vulnerable populations. Women and girls, disproportionately vulnerable to negative climate change impacts in developing countries, have largely been excluded from climate change finance policies and programmes. A report by WEDO and partners examines four funds –climate funds and non-climate funds, to draw out the lessons for gender integration in global finance mechanisms. Women and girls must not only be included in adaptive and mitigative activities, but also recognized as agents of change who are essential to the success of climate change interventions.

Read the report here.

Upcoming Publication: Girls Grow: A Vital Force in Rural Economies

An upcoming report by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Girls Grow: A Vital Force in Rural Economies will evaluate the role of adolescent girls in the developing world and identify opportunities for national governments and bilateral donors to equip these girls to be agents of economic and social change. This report serves as the next volume of the Girls Count series. Girls Count provides some of the first critical research specifically focused on adolescent girls in the developing world.  It demonstrates how providing support to girls ages 10-18 dramatically improves their lives – and also results in significant benefits for society as a whole.  A launch event for this publication is scheduled for early October in the United Kingdom, read more here.

Employment: The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)

GENDER EQUALITY EXPERT: Ref: FARA/GEE/adv/2011-001

FARA is seeking to recruit a gender equality expert to provide technical support, lead and facilitate the process of gender equality mainstreaming at the FARA Secretariat and among its constituents as well as within FARA programmes. The aim is to have a clear gender equality mainstreaming strategy that shall be developed through participatory processes and which will be harmonized with existing gender equality strategies of the SROs (ASARECA and CORAF/WECARD).

For more information about FARA please visit: www.fara-africa.org. FARA is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women.

 

Funding: USAID

USAID is seeking concept papers first then full applications from prospective partners to implement activities that create opportunities for women’s leadership and gender equality in addressing food security needs. These activities will contribute to the body of knowledge and effective tools for comprehensive integration of gender issues throughout USAID’s development, humanitarian, and transition work. The deadline for the submission of concept notes is on July 6, 2011. More information is available at http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=w47LNvKQlbH66kZ0DwhQBLJmcKykGcbZcVVLy1RfzFFjvTQprXYf!-574933939?oppId=55667&mode=VIEW

Online Discussion: Linking Gender, Poverty, and Environment

The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) would like to invite you to participate in an online discussion titled Linking Gender, Poverty, and Environment to Promote Sustainable Development, that will run from May 2 through June 14, 2011. The discussion will be held in three phases and each phase will focus on a particular topic outlined below.

Phase I. Understanding the Dynamics of the Gender-Poverty-Environment Links: will establish a common frame of reference for discussing gender-poverty –environment links.

Phase II. Promoting a Positive Spiral: will examine potential applications of the study findings and online discussion insights to address issues emerging  from consultations for the forthcoming World Bank Environment Strategy.

Phase III. Developing Tools for Positive Gender Equality-Poverty Reduction-Environment Sustainability Links: will critique and enhance draft tools to guide decision-makers in sustainable development sectors.

Your participation in this discussion will be acknowledged in the final report Linking Gender, Poverty, and Environment to Promote Sustainable Development.

More information.

2011 Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger

The Prize carries a $100,000 cash award and honors African women and men from all sectors who have demonstrated outstanding leadership for the well being of Africa’s people. Founded in 1987, the Prize has given early recognition to leaders such as Wangari Maathai and Graça Machel, as well as to heads of state such as Nelson Mandela and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. I hope you will nominate someone for this year’s Prize. There are details and a simple online nomination form at www.africaprize.org. Nominations are due by May 31, 2011.

Funding: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security

The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) is searching for scientists who are interested in conducting research on gender issues related to the climate change, agriculture, and food security nexus. CCAFS will award women scientists enrolled in a PhD program or interested in a post doctoral opportunity, and who are citizens of and affiliated with an institution in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Bangladesh, India, or Nepal to a research grant of $35,000. Proposals must:

1.      Demonstrate and contribute to understanding the linkages between climate change and gender more specifically, while developing policy-relevant findings on climate change, agriculture, and food security more generally.

2.      Build research capacity of women scientists in partner institutions and increase their representation in agricultural research.

Proposals must be submitted by May 1, 2011.  The full call for proposals may be downloaded at http://ccafs.cgiar.org/sites/default/files/docs/call_for_competitive_small_grants_proposals.pdf and the application form is available at http://ccafs.cgiar.org/sites/default/files/docs/application_form_for_the_competitive_small_grants_proposals_0.pdf.