How do social norms around gender influence the work of
agricultural development professionals? A recent workshop held in Mexico for
agricultural extension professionals – comprising 20 women and 26 men – turned
the spotlight on the topic of “masculinities”, defined as “a set of
attributes, values, and behaviors that are characteristic of being a man in a
given society and time.”
The workshop was organized by CIMMYT’s Gender and Social Inclusion Unit and facilitated by GENDES, a Mexican NGO that specializes on working with men on topics of gender and masculinities. The event was funded by the Mexican Government as part of the MasAgro project.
Workshop participants during an exercise. Photo: Tania Carolina Camacho Villa/CIMMYT
The majority of extension agents in Mexico are men and socially
and culturally constructed norms of how men should act directly impact the
ability of women farmers to access and benefit from rural advisory services. The
idea of discussing norms around masculinities came from the extension agents
themselves. One of the objectives of this workshop was to reflect upon the
concept of “machismo” in Mexico, and how it influences the extension work of
the participants.
Using modern technologies, dedicated to new knowledge and with hopes to improve the world:
Here they are – the Maize-Asia Youth Innovators Awards Winners of 2018!
Keep up your great work!
The awards recognize the contributions of innovative young women and men who can inspire fellow young people to get involved with maize-based research, change agency and farming. The awards aim to celebrate youth participation in maize-based agri-food systems and are sponsored by the CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE) in collaboration with Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD).
The awardees have been invited to attend the 13th Asian Maize Conference, Ludhiana, India (October 8-10) where they will present their work and receive their awards.
International experts to convene in Ludhiana, India, to discuss the way forward to increase climate resilience and productivity of maize, and to strengthen maize-based cropping systems in Asia.
A farmer checks her maize as it comes out of a shelling machine powered by a 4-wheel tractor, Nepal. Photo: CIMMYT/P.Lowe
Mark your calendars! The 13th Asian Maize Conference will be held October 8-10, 2018 in Ludhiana, India. This conference aims to bring together key Asian maize partners to discuss the current status, future opportunities and challenges for enhancing food, feed, nutrition and environmental security in Asia.
For more information and instructions on how to submit abstracts, please click here:
