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Gender and Systems Research Presentation by Cynthia McDougall
This document discusses the value and significance of gender and systems research. It focuses on how such research can identify leverage points to transform systems and shift norms, attitudes, and practices related to gender and social equity. Case studies on community forestry governance show that adopting adaptive collaborative governance can increase benefits, reduce conflict, and make resource distribution more equitable by increasing participation of women and poor community members. The document argues that gender and social equity issues provide pivotal opportunities for systems research to create positive change.
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Gender and Systems Research Presentation by Cynthia McDougall
- 1. Gender and SystemsResearch:
- 2. Gender and SystemsResearch: Leveraging Change
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- 22. “Single loop” influence… Accuracy, relevance Knowledge base Targeting Doingbetter within the system
- 23. Single loop: Doing better withinthe system Double loop: Improving the system Double loop engagement…
- 24. Gender and socialequity...Pivotal role of Gender and social equity…
- 25. …a leverage point toshift the system?
- 26. Gender & global foodsecurity
- 27. Gender & global foodsecurity
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- 30. “…places within acomplex system (a corporation, an economy, a living body, a city, an ecosystem) where a small shift in one thing can produce big changes in everything…”. D.Meadows
- 31. X Changes instocks and flows (resources)
- 32. Transforming the ‘Rulesof the game…’
- 33. In systems researchthis means engaging with....
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- 40. “We were alsoenthusiastic to participate in the general assembly of the CFUG in the past, but when we participated we were blamed repeatedly as forest destroyers, and this made us feel ashamed. It forced us to leave the venue before reaching any decision. Such assemblies were nothing but the venue to get scolded.” (Daure woman, Handikharka CFUG)
- 42. Community forest governance Community groups shaping theirown norms, attitudes, practices Norms, attitudes, practices: With adaptive collaborative governance
- 43. “In the pastour voice was not considered , but nowadays our sayings also are counted and we are asked as well” (Female member of Patle CFUG )
- 44. "We never realizedthe say of women and poor in past, but adaptive collaborative management opened my eyes that every user knows something …” (Male committee member, Patle CFUG)
- 45. Increased benefits Reduced conflict More equitable benefit sharing Women & poor members more actively engaged Findings: Withadaptive collaborative governance
- 46. Findings: With ACG Increased distributional equity Source:McDougall et al., 2013b
- 47. Findings: With ACG Increasesin livelihood benefits overall Source: McDougall et al., 2013b
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- 49. Big ideas... Transformation gender &social equity norms, behaviours, practices
- 50. Big ideas Value addedof systems research? Space & opportunity to identify leverage points Big ideas...
- 51. Value added ofsystems research? Shared opportunity to engage with these
- 52. Shared opportunity Gender &social equity
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Editor's Notes
- #4 In this session we are going to look at the significance of gender to and in Sys Research
- #5 And, as we will see, this will connect us to one of the overarching q of the conference: what is the value-added of syst res? So moving forward, in this session we are not using any one particular def of gender, rather I would like to work broadly from a shared understanding…
- #6 I come from AAS, but am not rooting this in a particular definition or framing of gender and so invite us to engage in shaping our joint understanding as we go forward. to this end…instead of a set definition, here is a word cloud built on definitions or framing of gender available in publications of HT, Drylands and AAS… As we can see, our joint framing does share the grounding that while we may emphasize women within our gender research, we approach gender as being rooted in socially constructed relationships between men and women… One point that caught my eye, was that power does not show up significantly…although if we are talking about social relationships we know that these embody power relations…?
- #8 Even before we get into significance in specific terms, it is useful to note that because gender itself is equity-related, one point or opportunity of general significance is that it signals the issue of equity more broadly in relation to research and development; further, because gender relations and outcomes are intrinsically intertwined with other aspects of social or social-ecological identity, it invites them to be addressed in an integrated way…as such in this session, we are focussing on both g & social equity
- #9 Even before we get into significance in specific terms, it is useful to note that because gender (power relations between men and women) itself is equity-related, one point or opportunity of general significance is that it signals the issue of equity more broadly in relation to research and development; further, because gender relations and outcomes are intrinsically intertwined with other aspects of social or social-ecological identity, it invites them to be addressed in an integrated way…
- #10 With that as backdrop, we can focus on our question of what is the significance of G &S E to Sys res? Including in relation to our collective goals relating to livelihoods, food & nutrition security, capacity to innovate, equity, and resilient ecosystems
- #11 In asking this question, it is useful to relate back to basics of systems….Many of us are familiar with the idea that systems can embody different levels of complexity… here framed along the lines of Snowden’s Framework…show & explain…
- #12 S ,C, Complex, Chaotic Note: not hard boundaries between them [ ] [me sort out the red & green] [from welsh…]
- #13 [[Simple & …moving into complicated… commodity research & basic research operates in these quadrants]] []controlled envts, limited moving parts….]]] Eg commods research may be viewed as engaging most directly with simple & complicated contexts of research [EG];
- #14 Sys Res grows out of and finds its home in more complex systems, more moving parts, actors, feedback and surprises… but not only here…
- #15 It can and does also operate across multiple levels of complexity, and I would propose offers an integrative opening to link with other types of research such as commodities research… and interesting point for our conversation over these next few days about the value of systems reesarch…. but what about gender and social equity…? [was w a”s:engages in operate in/at all four levels, including integrating diff types of research….have concrete eg.]]]
- #17 The significance of G & SE emerges as not one role, but as multiple layers when we move from research engaging with more simple to more complex … [hang in there—am going to tell you the parts you already know first..so hang in there for the twist…the interesting part is when we get to that bottom layer…]
- #18 Drawing from learning from decades of agricultural research in (simple to) complicated contexts we see the significance of G&SE in terms of quality of research: recognizing and nuancing data coll & analysis in terms of gender, most vulnerable or other issues, mean that we are not only asking and answering ‘what works’’ but also for whom, when, and in what condition==which contributes to the accuracy of research [EG! Get varieties eg or cooking eg—make sure it fits with THIs eg] [[ADD Photo of variety?]]
- #19 Moving towards complexity and multiple actors, eg NRM research, Climate change research: G&SE in building knowledge--- Draws on breadth of human knowledge & capital --Richness through diverse knowledge and perspectives… as relates to action and forms of PAR this relates also to capacity base…] [[WAS: EG: IF COMMOD: Trad knowledge, gendered knowledge; If talk NRM here, diverse persp= visions, perspectives, needs
- #20 [add re focus on vul people, vulnerable parts of system…]
- #21 Res q and utility, of course implications for effectiveness of research: better commodities , that work better in different contexts, more perspectives, more types of knowledge, and targeted at those who need it most...
- #22 SIGNIFICANT, yet is this the full potential of gender & SE in SR? Full potential of sys res? [ do we have the opp to do more than strengthen these building blocks of the system? ]
- #23 ..When we think of it, from a systems perspective, and drawing on social learning theory, Because they generally embody “single loop” types of improvements—ie, doing better within the given configuration
- #24 While learning about and strengthening the building blocks is important, will this have the kind of influence that is needed for socio-ecological sustainability and achieving our collective development goals…? Or do we also need to engage with the system –or systems themselves? This is double loop learning. While doing things better within the given system is extremely important, as systems researchers we are not only interested in and embedded in this single loop are we? We have the vantage point of being able to consider the system as a whole and potential shifts in it that would better leverage movement towards development goals....
- #25 [This is where we connect up with G &SE, and where things get interesting from a systems perspective: ] the fourth layer/function of G&SE
- #26 From a sys perspective, I would propose here that the most potent significance of G& SE is its potential to enable sys research to operate at that double loop level, and to leverage change in the system in a way that enables greater sustainability, greater achievement of the development goals we share
- #27 Let’s look at gender and global food security…
- #28 Unpack…
- #29 Women plus equal access to resources does not just equal women plus equal access to resources.... It equals substantial increases in food production and reductions in hunger It’s a 1 + 1= 3
- #30 this particular “if then” invites us to see research in ag, and gender & SE within ag, from a systems perspective and in doing so raises the question of gender-related change as a leverage point…
- #31 Quite different from improvements in quality of technical research or even targeting of vulnerable areas Within systems research engaging with G &SE is not only about improving research outcomes in the given system is it about research contributing to changes in the system itself that better enable us to collectively contribute to the desired outcomes
- #32 If looking at G &SE in SES, systems thinking and learning in r4d, tells us that leveraging significant change in a system is not about changing the stocks and flows or quantitative resources—at least not inthe first instance; RATHER, as Jim Woodhill underscores, it relies on changing the rules of the game—meaning the beliefs, norms, behaviours and practices (along with formal institutions, such as policies)
- #33 If looking at G &SE in SES, systems thinking and learning in r4d, tells us that leveraging significant change in a system is not about changing the stocks and flows or quantitative resources—at least not inthe first instance; RATHER, as Jim Woodhill underscores, it relies on changing the rules of the game—meaning the beliefs, norms, behaviours and practices (along with formal institutions, such as policies)
- #34 These are the factors that influence access to resources, to info & networks, shape change & outcomes in the system (ref back to woodhill and meadows?)
- #35 SI eg: Farmer leaders…- limited innovation by farmers…in discs with… - limited adoption of techs, limited innovation ongoing, except handful of lead farmers (lead farmers—see notes: innov, shape techs & practices, access to resources & benefits of external linkages, influences on scaling…)---and they are all men ….vision: future, sustainable, food secure—income from women at markets, everyone is innovating so that FS, income…men & women? Yes…why not now: women known to be very K, but only educated & leaders can be farmer innovators….belief that not signif for girls to go to school, or not stay, so not educated; only educated become leaders…so not leaders…. So seemingly unrelated point of girls & school…would shift women as farmer leaders; connects to our FAO big facts…[[this… (girl fig) could leverage this (change in res) …which could shift this…(FS figs) [[see notes part c, what diffs?]] [images: Finnov & FL as word In center—words out around him…as per notes] [images: girl to school….ii) women and man in center…iii) increase in prod… ] [related….nutrition, population, child care roles & options, women in mkts bc of resources (FL) & child care… ] verage point for food security & nutrition, thus health….how about education and population ]]]
- #36 -on farm ag research in Solomons, looking at what varieties work in the local farming context, and linking up to the local market systems In a recent gathering, some researchers, NGOs/farmer networks and farmer innovators & I were talking about future scenarios in Sis in context, and what an ideal future would look like.... Integrated farming systems, proactively adaptive, innovative, robust, healthy food for families and markets... As we traced back to how to connect the ideal future with the current situation to the ideal future, one farmer innovator riased this point: the role of lead farmers in communities is critical in this, in terms of innovation, linking to research, catalysing robust farm systems-but imacts are limited and will continue to be...although women are farmers and have specfic important knowledge, they aren’t ever farmer leaders, they are given the roles to help shift farming & market systems [[right there, one entry point...beliefs about who can be leaders...but more fundamentally..]].. -they are unlikely to be widely recog ized as leaders bc leaders = educated -here, in families, we believe that it is not importnat for girls to go to school...as long as we believe that and practice that, girls will end up working in homes, behind the scenes, and we won’t get to the vision.. - so what would the vision look like, what would it take to acheive the food security and cap to innovate part of the vision? Change in belief and practice that both girls AND boys should go to school
- #38 Eg: CF Nepal: research with CFUGs on how changes to gov could improve outcomes included sparking reflection on equity Changes in livs overall Changes in distribution of livs and opps Changes in underlying norms & behaviours, valuing of women’s input, sense that everyone has something to contribute… (spin offs…conflict, water, women’s leadership of other community initiatives, links to district scale workings…) In other words, reflection on equity (gender and other) within research leveraged changes in the whole system (who decided, for what, what grew, how managed and protected, outcomes…. )
- #45 Changing attitudes of male leaders:
- #46 The fact that marginalized and non-marginalized members alike indicated increased satisfaction with engagement indicates that engagement need not be approached as a “zero sum” game. We propose the latter as an area for further exploration and research
- #49 Drawing again on systems thinking: We often focus on resiliece, but this perspective signals that the concept of transformation should be just as fundamental Second: transformation of what? Transformation of gender and social equity norms, practices emerge as fundamental [[]] Research that engages with transformation emerages as having the potential to contribute to developemnt outcomes in way that ‘doing things better” within the systme (single loop research) may not, on its own
- #50 Drawing again on systems thinking: We often focus on resiliece, but this perspective signals that the concept of transformation should be just as fundamental Second: transformation of what? Transformation of gender and social equity norms, practices emerge as fundamental [[]] Research that engages with transformation emerges as having the potential to contribute to developemnt outcomes in way that ‘doing things better” within the systme (single loop research) may not, on its own
- #51 so that we might shift the system towards a new, more sustainable, and more equitable configuration and trajectories rather than only seeking incremental improvements in outputs in the same system Brings us to the Value added of SR: we have a unique vantage point to do this! [[Or changing the trajectories of the system as a means of enabling different outcomes]
- #52 We have a collective opportunity through SR to engage creatively, equitably, and [[]] with other actors in and around that leverage point—enage in our our research + engage with each othe to build collecctive kn & cap to do so [add lever image again-put these together— Work with leverage points, in partic, engaging in research that is tranformative in termsof underlying gender an social equity norms, behaviours, practices— not only make improvements to components of the given system, but leverage more fundamental, lasting shifts towrds sustainability] And the with actors is significant bc the question of who decides what needs transformation is in and of itself an ethical issue… AND, big idea for the conference, collect opp to learn together about what our roles as researchers might look like in contributing and understanding transformation & in identifying and working with leverage points, in particular the central one of gender and social equity
- #53 -potential area of enormous synergy: is a cross-cutting issue, and a leverage point - If we collectively engaged in sys research that is double loop, that is transformative in terms of gender and social equity, we may find a point of converenge on “deliverables” and contribute to a new level of movement towards the SDGs