Tropentag, September 16 - 18, 2026, Göttingen "Towards multi-functional agro-ecosystems promoting climate-resilient futures"

Implementing gender transformative approaches (GTAs) in livestock systems: the case of eastern Africa

¹International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), People Policies and Institutions Program, Burundi
²International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), People Policies and Institutions Program, Kenya
³International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), People Policies and Institutions Program, Tanzania

Abstract

Inequitable gender norms hinder the development of efficient and equitable agri-food systems. In chicken value chains, for example, inequitable gender norms, inhibit the ability of women smallholder farmers to engage in and benefit from chickens limiting the potential of the sector for supporting rural livelihoods and women’s empowerment.

Gender transformative approaches (GTAs) have been used in different contexts to address restrictive gender norms and empower women. However, the processes to identify relevant norms and develop appropriate GTAs in agri-food systems, are still being developed and scrutinized, especially within smallholder livestock based farming systems where norms are pervasive.

In this paper, we provide a methodological guidance on how GTAs can be implemented with a starting point of norms exploration in target communities, intervention design, implementation and preparation monitoring of changes that can be attributed to GTAs following implementation. We adopt the case of GTAs implemented to address restrictive gender norms adopted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in smallholder chicken value chains, pig and dairy value chains in recent years. We highlight the engagement of target communities in participatory processes of research to uncover the restrictive gender norms to target, participatory intervention formulation and intervention implementation and a post intervention exploration to identify how to improve the intervention for higher possibilities of changes in restrictive gender norms.

This paper makes a contribution of highlighting practical steps, which projects that seek to engage communities in adopting norms supportive of women's engagement in and benefit from livestock activities, can adopt from research to monitoring of changes attributable to interventions.

Keywords: East Africa,, gender transformative approaches, implementation, livestock systems

Contact Address: Esther Achandi, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), People Policies and Institutions Program, Bujumbura, Burundi, e-mail: e.achandicgiar.org