Bringing agriculture and nutrition together using a gender lens
This paper (PDF) from the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) and SNV is a background paper to the Nutrition and Gender Sensitive Agriculture (NGSA) Toolkit. The paper refers to the current discussions on linking food and nutrition security at program level. It looks at the discussions from a gender lens, and how this demands for a different way of program planning. It shows the need to plan programs based on knowledge of the current realities of men and women in a particular context and time. To facilitate this kind of program planning, the toolkit promotes an integrated approach to understand under-nutrition through linking different sectors -namely agriculture, nutrition, WASH- using a gender lens. The toolkit uses qualitative methods and allows for the development of a common approach, while at the same time providing insights for developing context-specific interventions. Therefore, the added value is that methods can be applied and adapted to any context, but may lead to tailor-made interventions. The toolkit is primarily intended for use by field staff engaged in designing, planning and implementing nutrition-sensitive agriculture programmes. The online toolkit consists of eight steps, each providing key questions to consider at different stages of program development, and each including an appropriate combination of data collection, analysis, and community consultation methods. The overall approach is highly participatory, and all steps work towards a community action plan.