Gendered pathways for resilient and inclusive rural transformation

Abstract

Rural transformation pathways focused on efficiency and productivity often leave women and marginalized social groups behind in addition to having negative impacts on the environment and nutrition. As rural transformation models are reconsidered from an agrifood-system perspective to include climate change and nutrition goals, it is also critical to reevaluate how gender and intersecting dimensions of power are integrated. Shifting the focus from 'what' to 'how', the study asserts that meaningful synergies are present among decent livelihoods, climate action, and nutrition – key domains of resilient and inclusive rural transformation – and women's empowerment. It identifies five critical pathways that are relevant across the three domains to position gender at the center of resilient and inclusive rural transformation and underscores the importance of quality data and increased finance to enact these pathways.