In October to November 2015, a gender appraisal was conducted by two CIDT consultants Mary Surridge and Rufsana Begum, in four case study countries to assist Plantwise to operationalize its Gender Strategy and better embed gender and diversity in the Programme. A follow-up workshop was held with all CABI Country Coordinators and other CABI staff at the Annual Planning in Switzerland.
Plantwise (PW) is a global programme, led by CABI, to increase food security and improve rural livelihoods by reducing crop losses. Sustainable networks of local plant clinics provide farmers with practical plant health advice, reinforced by the Plantwise Knowledge Bank, an online gateway to plant health information. Working in close partnership with relevant actors (mainly government extension workers), PW strengthens national plant health systems from within, enabling countries to provide farmers with the knowledge they need to lose less and feed more. Currently, Plantwise works in 34 countries.
As a result of the gender appraisal, Mary and Rufsana were contracted again to further enhance the capability of Plantwise to embed gender and diversity in its programme by building on the findings and recommendations from the gender appraisal. This included: the development of a Gender Resource Pack for all country staff to improve the extent to which they embed gender within their programmes and providing targeted suggestions for amendments to Plant Doctor Training modules to ensure that gender and social inclusion are embedded at appropriate points in the modules.
