International Women's Day 2022

The theme for International Women’s Day on 8 March this year (IWD 2022) is 'Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow', recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation and response, and building a more sustainable future for all.

At ILRI, we have lined up engagement activities with colleagues and communities to actualise the day's theme and support the work of the ILRI Gender Team, which researches from gender norms to climate change. 

Livestock is a key contributor for nutrition security and women’s empowerment in household livelihoods. Yet gender relations and climate change affect the roles taken in livestock management, as well as the constraints, opportunities and preferences they may face. For instance, women tend to own species of lower economic value, compared to men. With subsequent differences in labour allocation and benefit accrual, it is vital to encourage adoption of viable livestock interventions which will contribute towards gender equality in communities.

Women and girls are participating in and leading sustainability initiatives around the world, resulting in more effective climate change actions. ILRI’s research is part of many efforts to empower women and girls to have a voice and equality in decision-making. Advocacy for more gender-equitable control of livestock assets, through gender-transformative approaches and gender-responsive technology and innovations, is essential for sustainable development.

To mark International Women’s Day this year, we have various activities that are focused on:

     1.   Gender Transformative Approaches (GTA) addressing gender norms to bring sustainable change.

     2.   Climate change work contribution to sustainable climate change adaptation, mitigation and response.

As part of the lined activities, we are engaging our colleagues in a campaign dubbed '3 days, 3 actions'. Starting from 8-10 March, we will email colleagues a daily call to action and invite them to record their experiences on a Google Jamboard. 

At the end of the campaign feedback will be provided to staff members during a virtual event on 11 March, where we will engage staff and gender experts in a virtual fishbowl.