Background:
This report provides a summary of the ‘Gender and Beyond: Creating Innovative Strategies for Inclusive Climate Change Adaptation among Small-Scale Producers in Africa’ convening (link to recording). The convening was a key component of the Advancing Climate Adaptation with Meso-Level Integration (ACAMI) project. The aim of ACAMI is to examine the roles and functions of meso-level organizations (MLOs) in implementing climate change adaptation interventions for the benefit of agricultural small scale producers in Africa. The convening aimed to (1) present and discuss consolidated gender-related findings from the 2023 ACAMI in country workshops, (2) facilitate dialogue among gender experts from MLOs, identified during prior interviews with MLO leaders in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Malawi, on challenges and strategies related to gender, and (3) stimulate active participation within the broader MLO community on gender and equity issues to promote knowledge sharing, network building, and visibility.
The convening was held virtually for two hours on the 15th of February, 2024. It attracted a diverse audience, including representatives from various organizations that are actively engaged in Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) projects focusing on small-scale producers in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Malawi. The convening was chaired by ACAMI’s gender expert, Dr. Ruth Magreta, and a total of 62 participants attended the meeting.
The ACAMI team selected five panelists based on their deep expertise in gender and equity, and their experience developing innovative solutions to address climate change adaptation and gender issues within their organizations. The panel featured two experts from Ghana and one representative from Kenya, South Africa, and Malawi (see Table 1 for more details). The convening began with a presentation by the ACAMI gender expert, who summarised key gender-related findings from the 2023 ACAMI in-country workshops held in the four countries.