Empowering Women Through Equal Participation
The CSIAP is designed to ensure that women’s
participation is not symbolic but substantial. From planning and
decision-making to implementation and monitoring, women play active roles at
every stage of the process. The project encourages them to take leadership positions in Farmer
Organisations (FOs) and influence local agricultural priorities. To ensure
inclusivity, the CSIAP has set a target of at least 30% women beneficiaries
across all project components — including the distribution of assets, extension
services, and access to new technologies. These efforts help bridge the gender
gap, enabling women to enhance productivity, confidence, and household income.
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Gender Action Plan: Turning Commitment into Reality
The CSIAP’s Gender Action Plan (GAP) translates these
commitments into measurable actions, ensuring that at least 30% of total
project benefits reach women through targeted training, resources, and support.
Key measures under the GAP include:
* Recognising women as farmers and leaders from the very
beginning of project planning.
* Ensuring gender-equitable representation, with a
minimum of 30% women’s participation in Farmer Organisations, Producer
Societies (PSs), Social Audit Committees, and Cascade Management Committees.
* Screening technologies to ensure they address women’s
needs and remove access barriers.
* Supporting caregiving roles, ensuring women can
participate without compromising family responsibilities.
* Establishing accessible Grievance Redress Mechanisms
(GRMs) that allow women to raise concerns safely and confidently.
This integrated approach enables women to take ownership of agricultural transformation, ensuring their voices inform climate-smart
solutions.
Four Dimensions of Gender Equality in CSIAP
The CSIAP’s strategy for promoting gender equality in
climate-smart agriculture is built on four core dimensions:
* Participation in decision-making — empowering women to
influence choices at the household, community, and national levels.
* Access to and control over resources — including
technology, agro-climatic information, credit, and income.
* Reducing workloads and physical burdens — through
technologies and innovations that save time and energy.
* Collective action — creating spaces for women to share
experiences, build solidarity, and take collective decisions for community
wellbeing.
Together, these pillars strengthen women’s roles as innovators, change agents, and leaders in climate-resilient agriculture.
Preventing Gender-Based Violence: Building Safe and
Respectful Workspaces
The
CSIAP’s gender inclusion framework also prioritizes safety, dignity, and
respect for all participants. The project takes a zero-tolerance approach to Gender-Based
Violence (GBV) — both within workplaces and communities.
A Code of Conduct (CoC) was introduced to prevent GBV
at construction and rehabilitation sites and during community-level activities.
The CoC clearly defines the responsibilities of contractors, workers, and
community members, ensuring all project environments remain safe and
respectful.
Please click on Report to read more.
By Sharmila Shanmuganthan, Social Safeguard and Gender Development Officer, PMU, CSIAP
