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Gender equality in capacity enhancement

ILRI and the International Veterinary Vaccinology Network (IVVN) Online Workshop on Integrating Gender into Livestock Research (May 2021)

The goal of this training course was for researchers of all disciplines to become more comfortable with the basic vocabulary of gender research and to encourage participants to continue thinking about how to integrate gender into their research. The course focused on “why do gender research” and discussed the differences between biological gender and social gender as well as how gender norms affect our lives. A session on “how to do gender research” introduced best practice methods and case studies. Nine IFS grantees participated in this course.

ILRI Online Workshop on Science Communication for Non-technical Audiences (July 2021)

Fifteen IFS grantees from 2021 and women grantees of 2020 were invited to participate. The goal of the training was to equip participants with communication skills that will enable them to effectively communicate scientific processes and findings to non-scientific audiences and the public at large. Participants were familiarized with principles of effective science communication, skills in message development in response to anticipated stakeholder questions and/or concerns about their research projects, effective media relations skills, including social media, and strategies and tools for engaging policy-makers to secure supportive policy environments for their research.

IFS Online Workshop on Designing Online Training Events and Preparing a Research Budget (August 2021)

Thirty-four early career scientists and six workshop facilitators from 17 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe met virtually on Microsoft Teams. Workshop participants were post-doctoral researchers who were IFS and IRD grantees. The workshop coordination team included IFS staff, as well as Dr Beth Ndunda and Dr Ruth Odhiambo from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and Dr Valère Kolawolé. The workshop was delivered by IFS within the framework of the Partnership Agreement between IFS and the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) for Capacity Building Activities in 2021. Participants included nine IFS grantees and 3 IRD grantees who were women. The workshop employed an inclusive design, using a pre-workshop survey to identify and minimise any barriers to women, and keeping the timing of the workshop within working hours to minimise barriers to those who cannot attend out-ofhours, for example, due to caring responsibilities.

ILRI Online Workshop on Blogging for Impact (September 2021)

This opportunity was shared widely on the IFS Community with IFS grantees and with the IFS women grantees of 2020. The course covered reasons to blog, tips and tricks for blogging, writing press releases and where/how to place them, and alternative blogging channels, and taking advantage of social media to promote, disseminate and create conversations.

International Science Programme Online Workshop on Gender, Diversities and Unconscious Bias: How to master the playground rules in academia (September 2021)

IFS staff and grantees joined this workshop as part of the ISP’s 60th anniversary celebration. The workshop focused on unconscious bias and gender issues in STEM disciplines in different parts of the world and in different cultural environments. The aim was to increase awareness about aspects and methods for improving gender balance and to get new tools to find their own ways for reaching gender equality.

Food Systems for New Realities – Agri4D 2021 (September 2021)

Agri4D brought together researchers, policy-makers and practitioners to engage actively with the challenges of food systems with a focus on low-income contexts in a globalised world. The conference aimed to take stock of the current knowledge frontier, connect science to policymaking and practice, and spark new collaborations. IFS were part of a digital exhibition at the Agri4D conference, including information on the IFS mission and scientific program, important links, pictures/videos of grantees, and an invitation for interested parties to contact IFS for potential partnerships. Conference participants were able to visit and interact with the digital exhibition booth throughout the conference, which included 30-minute live video sessions where participants could drop in and interact with IFS staff. A three-minute pitch on IFS was delivered.

African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) Webinar on Scientific Publishing/Proposal Development and Funding (October 2021)

Fifteen IFS grantees (among them 11 women) from the 2021 cohort attended the training course. IFS presented its program and talked about “Finding the right funders: Are you deliberate and selective about which grant opportunity you pursue and which you forgo?”. In addition, IFS staff participated as resources persons on successful publishing of research.

IFS has continued to offer additional support to women in the IFS program, through capacity-enhancing workshops or webinars, and supporting their career development towards senior or leadership positions. Among the workshops and webinars listed above, several were on the communication of science, which in turn increases the visibility of women in science.

The Partnership Agreement between IFS and IRD for Capacity Building Activities in 2021 included opportunities for IFS grantees to join IRD workshops. One female IFS grantee based in Paraguay was selected to attend a workshop in Mexico City in November. The workshop covered writing articles for scientific journals and image processing.

IFS held a workshop in November 2021 for new women grantees. The annual event provides an opportunity for women grantees to learn about the IFS gender strategy and network

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