Partners: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), CGIAR Gender

Despite their significant contributions to the agrifood sector, women’s voices remain underrepresented in policy decisions. In India, only a small percentage of women serve as elected representatives and senior policymakers, highlighting the urgent need for initiatives that empower women at every step of the policy cycle. The Women’s Empowerment in Agrifood Governance (WEAGov) tool, developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), provides a way for national policymakers, civil society organizations, and researchers to identify gaps and opportunities to raise women’s voice and agency at different stages of the national policy cycle. By providing robust data and evidence, the WEAGov tool enables monitoring progress in women’s empowerment in agrifood systems governance and related indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). LEAD at Krea University collaborated with IFPRI to pilot this tool in India, gathering insights into women’s contributions to agrifood policy development. 

In this regard, IFPRI and LEAD organised a learning workshop in Delhi for stakeholders from policy, industry, academia, and civil society working across agrifood systems and gender-responsive policies and programs. The closed-door workshop provided a platform to share insights from the India assessment of the tool and discuss broader strategies for integrating such tools into policy and practice. The session also delved into opportunities for achieving policy convergence and the roles that different stakeholders can play in ensuring more inclusive and equitable governance in the agrifood sector. 

More details forthcoming.