Women as IPM Leaders
Empowering women as leaders in integrated pest management across Southeast Asia
Women as IPM Leaders Programme
Women are key agents for agricultural production and pest management in food systems across Southeast Asia. It is vital, therefore, that the development and implementation of IPM programs consider how women can be empowered to be leaders in this field. The work in this programme will explore gender-differentiated access to resources, decision-making, division of labour, perceptions of pest and disease problems, and current roles in pest management. The programme will also build a community of learning and explore potential business models for women-led IPM solutions, including the development and use of technology and digital IPM approaches.​
​
-
Information and knowledge-sharing
-
Understanding the enabling environment
-
Small-scale pilots and business models for women IPM entrepreneurs
-
Education exchanges, farmer extension programmes, and woman leadership models for IPM
​
CONCEPT PAPER: This concept paper outlines the Women as IPM Leaders Programme and was developed through a process of regional consultation. You can download the paper here
​
Gender and IPM Country Projects
Over the last 18 months, researchers from across Southeast Asia have been working together to explore the different roles and responsibilities of women farmers in managing pests in key crops of the region.
​
These projects involve over ten locations across five countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, and Vietnam and they explore the roles of farmers in managing FAW, fruit flies and Fusarium wilt disease in maize, mango and banana crops.​​
​
Southeast Asia Gender-Skills Capability Training Course: IPM, Climate Change and Biodiversity: July 2024 to January 2025.
This hybrid course is run over 6 months through a module-based online learning system accompanied by two three-day residential courses. Participants are guided through activities each week accompanied by online lectures and work together in small groups to complete a small group research project to apply skills learnt in the course. Costs to attend the workshops are covered and a course certificate will be given.
The course is delivered by the fantastic gender team at CABI - CABI is an international, inter-governmental, not-for-profit organization that improves people’s lives worldwide by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. Teachers work with participants to equip them with new approaches, perspectives and tools for food systems research and policy. Participants are exposed to the latest thinking and skills related to gender-sensitive approaches in food systems research and policy design and implementation. And, they get to work with like-minded practitioners from across the region to help build regional capability in this important area.​​​​​​​​​
2022 & 2023 Webinar Series
Hear from a range of practitioners including farmers and agricultural extension workers about the importance of inclusive practices in project development and research.
Women as IPM Leaders Learning Series 2022
Session 1: Role of gender in the management of fruit flies in mangos
Women as IPM Leaders Learning Series 2023
Session 1: Participatory Research: Involving women in project development
Session 2: Listening to the voices of women farmers
Session 3: The role of agricultural extension workers in gender-sensitive approaches
Videos
Listening to Women Farmers ...
Listening to the experiences of agricultural extension workers
First Workshop of the Women as IPM Leaders Programme
This first workshop attracted over 300 registrants and 180+ participants to help launch the work of the Women as IPM Leaders Programme.
Speakers from across the region and further afield shared their experiences and insight on the importance of gender-transformative approaches in agriculture.
​
A PDF copy of the presentations can be found here.
​
The video recording of the session can be downloaded here.
2022 Gender and Agriculture in a Changing Climate Workshop
Bali, Indonesia, 6-8 December 2022
E-Learning Courses
We would like to share free e-learning courses related to gender studies and agriculture. If you know of any please tell us so we can post them.
FAO Learning Series
​​
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
​
Feed the Future Soybean Innovation Lab
​
Toolkits
Further Resources
#2
A Gender Perspective on Pest and Disease Management Paper
A Gender Perspective on Pest and Disease Management From the Cases of Roots, Tubers and Bananas in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa discusses how the consideration of gender in research on pests and diseases is increasingly important as it facilitates the development of more efficient approaches to increasing the adoption of crop protection technologies and practices by women and men farmers according to their roles, knowledge, and capacities.
#3
Mainstreaming Gender in the use of ICTs for Agriculture & Rural Development
This publication, Mainstreaming Gender in the use of Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Agriculture & Rural Development, looks at the benefits of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) when placed in the hands of men and women working in agriculture and in rural areas. It examines the challenges to be overcome and makes recommendations so that rural communities can take full and equal advantage of the technologies.
#4
Women’s empowerment and gender equity in agriculture
This journal article, "Women’s empowerment and gender equity in agriculture: A different perspective from Southeast Asia" explores empirical evidence of gender inequity from four Southeast Asian countries: Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The findings imply that country-specific gender intervention frameworks are necessary to overcome gender gaps in agriculture.