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Gender gains overshadowed by constitutional violation : an analysis of the situation for women in politics after the 2022 Kenya elections
No full textFrom a gender perspective, three main lessons can be learnt from the general election. First, gender issues are on the rise, a fact shown not least by the appointment of the first-ever women running mate for one of the two main presidential candidates. Second, although the ratios of women representatives at all levels are slowly but steadily increasing, the gender quota is just window dressing, which the parties blatantly ignore or work around by nominating women candidates to top-up lists. Third, violence against women in politics poses a serious threat to women’s political inclusion and citizenship
Actions to prevent pregnant girls from school dropout : lessons learnt from Covid-19 in Uganda
No full textA recent study conducted in south-western Uganda identifies five main barriers to school-age mothers returning to school following pregnancy: negative self-perception, childcare burdens, community and family tensions, a tense school environment and ineffective policies. This policy note offers advice to policy makers at all levels and in all sectors on what they should do to tackle these barriers
A Community of Practice for Gender-Transformative Research Methodologies
No full textThe Community of Practice on Gender-Transformative Research Methodologies (GTRM-CoP) builds on work conducted by international gender researchers at CGIAR and partner organizations. The community of practice is committed to gender-transformative change processes; and aims to co-create socially just and gender-equitable futures in food, land and water systems. The GTRM-CoP aims to promote the transformative ambitions of CGIAR, its partners, and interested organizations and individuals, by creating safe spaces for innovating, sharing and scaling gender-transformative research methodologies. The community of practice is part of the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform and housed under the Methods module of the Platform. A Community of Practice (CoP) is an ideal mechanism for promoting rapid, interactive and creative learning. Four initial topic groups have been identified to begin knowledge exchange and co-creation: gender-equitable masculinities, intersectionality, transformative research processes and data, and mobilizing GENNOVATE data and tools. The GTRM-CoP aims to accelerate learning and action that fosters gender-transformative change in food, land and water systems, through the interactions within and between the topic groups, following a set of principles and values and in a spirit of humility and learning. These lessons will be available to others within CGIAR and beyond as part of a global movement toward gender equity and achieving Gender Equality (SDG 5) and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10).ClimBe
Social Equity in Climate-Resilient Agriculture
No full textThis briefing paper provides an overview of what is "social equity" and how it's applicability for climate-resilient agriculture in the context of the need for transformative adaptation
Transformations of Rural Spaces in Mozambique
No full textWith contributions from both Mozambican and non-Mozambican scholars of multi-disciplinary backgrounds and approaches, this book provides a range of new perspectives on how Mozambique has been characterized by profound changes in its rural communities and places. Despite the persistence of poverty in Mozambique, significant investments have been made in rural areas in extractive industry or agribusiness, resulting in both the transformation of these areas, and a new set of tensions and conflicts related to land tenure and population resettlement. Meanwhile, the Mozambican rural landscape is one dominated by smallholders whose livelihoods depend on both farming and non-farming activities, and who are often extremely vulnerable to shocks and pressure over resources. The emergence of new civil society organizations has led to clashes with in the interests of local political, administrative and economic powers, creating fresh social conflicts. Transformations of the Rural Spaces in Mozambique examines the process of transformation across a range of settings; from the impacts of large-scale industries and the transformation of agriculture, to relations between state and non-state actors and issues related to land.Contents: Transformations of rural spaces in Mozambique: Introduction to a collective reflection / Cristina Udelsmann Rodrigues, Cecilia Navarra -- Part I CIVIL SOCIETY, LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND THE MULTIPLICITY OF ACTORS IN RURAL SPACES -- Chapter 1. Customary rules and the law of domestic violence: conflicting norms and social change in rural Mozambique / Marta Patrício -- Chapter 2. The trials and tribulations of rede terra: negotiating land tenure in Angola / Brad Safarik -- Chapter 3. REDD+ landscape and territoriality: opportunities and challenges for Mozambique / Almeida Alberto Sitoe, Benard Soares Guedes, Margaret B. Holland, Sá Nogueira Lisboa -- Part II EXTRACTIVE ACTIVITIES, RURAL LIVELIHOODS AND LOCAL ECONOMIES -- Chapter 4. Mining economy and political activism: the changing landscape in rural Tete / Inácio Dias de Andrade -- Chapter 5. Dislocation of the dead: land, burial and resettlement around coal mines in Mozambique / Nikkie Wiegink -- Chapter 6. Mining megaprojects and the onus on development in the local communities of Nampula Province, Mozambique: the case of Topuito, Larde District / Vanito Viriato Marcelino Frei -- Part III AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES -- Chapter 7. The gender dimension of small farmers’ integration in rural markets in Mozambique: a ten-year-long dialogue across context changes and evolving perspectives / Cecilia Navarra, Roberta Pellizzoli -- Chapter 8. The agri-food system and competitiveness strategies in value chains in Mozambique: a case study of maize, cowpea and sugar / Rabia Aiuba, Yara Nova -- Chapter 9. Rural transformation and the family farmers of the Lower Limpopo / Juliana Porsani -- Chapter 10. The emergence of medium-sized commercial producersin Mozambique: (dis)continuities and political (dis)alliances / João Feijó-Based on papers presented at a conference and policy dialogue in Maputo in May 2018, organized by The Nordic Africa Institute (Sweden) in partnership with Instituto de Estudos Sociais e Económicos (Mozambique), and other partners.</p
Fifteen Diplomats on a Powder Keg : Africa and the United Nations Security Council
No full textNordic Africa Institute's Projects on the UN Security Council and the Elected Te
Insecurity in Burkina Faso – beyond conflict minerals : the complex links between artisanal gold mining and violence
No full textAs artisanal gold mining in Burkina Faso has increased in recent years, so have violent attacks by non-state armed groups. The assumption that there is a natural causal link between the two is, however, too simplistic. The escalating violence should rather be seen as a result of long-term trends, such as state disengagement, a growing dependence on gold and the gradual privatisation of security. To curb the violence, we recommend that policy makers avoid a repressive approach to artisanal mining and rethink the governance of the sector, in consultation with miners and rural communities
Sweden as an Elected Member of the UN Security Council : Promoting Women, Peace and Security as Core Council Business, 2017–18
No full textThis report seeks to contribute to a growing research agenda on internal United Nations Security Council (UNSC) dynamics and the role of elected states (E10s). To study the role of elected states is important as research indicates that there has been increased interest among states to hold one of the elected Council seats, yet our understanding of E10 strategies and effects remains more limited. Research also indicates that the possibilities for elected states to have an impact on UNSC outcomes can differ between policy areas. For its 2017–18 Council term, Sweden decided that it should promote the integration of Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) into the mainstream of the UNSC’s processes and decisions, to contribute to making WPS "core Council business”. In fact, even though WPS is a policy area of growing importance for several elected states, there exists limited knowledge on the role of E10s in driving progress in the Council. Addressing gaps in our understanding of E10 roles, strategies, and effects, this report makes two contributions: First, we provide insights into preparations for, and the situation in, the UNSC for elected members. We begin by discussing the assessments and decisions involved in forming the elected state’s aims and strategy, and then outline four clusters of conditions that an elected state has to tactically maneuver during its term. Second, we structure and advance our knowledge of the potential effects a state can seek to achieve to better understand and study such efforts. We then go more in-depth into one of the effects that Sweden sought to achieve: that is, the improved integration of WPS language in UNSC resolutions, in particular peace operation and political mission mandates, to positively affect the lives of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict areas. We here outline a method for assessing progress on the integration of implementable language. To fulfill this objective, the report builds on a focused analysis of the experiences of Sweden and data on language developments in UNSC resolutions in the 2016–19 period. Importantly, this report does not constitute an authorized or official account of Sweden’s term and is not intended to be a comprehensive assessment of all of Sweden’s work during its two years on the UNSC. Rather, the interviews, written material, and data collection have been used to explore and expand our understanding of elected members and internal UNSC dynamics and to contribute to a growing research agenda on the role of states for WPS progress and setbacks. The report is the first publication in cooperation between the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Uppsala University, and the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) on the role of elected members in the Security Council and is a product of projects funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Folke Bernadotte Academy, and the Shattering Glass project funded by the Swedish Research Council (ID: 2020-05104_3)Shattering glass: How elected members of the UN Security Council fight for women, peace and securit
Reflections on Enhancing the Impact of Climate Risk Management Through Transformative Adaptation
No full textClimate risk management is part of the response to the threat of climate change. Much effort has focused on the promotion on climate-resilient agriculture. There continues to be undue focus on technology solutions per se and not enough attention on the coupling of technologies and socio-economics and how they become embedded in ecological systems underpinning smallholder agriculture. In this perspective, we argue that an intertwined social–ecological–technological systems approach to climate risk management is needed to ensure that climate-resilient agriculture contributes more to the realization of goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Furthermore, in line with broader policy thinking on the need for transformative change toward sustainably living on the planet and “leaving no one behind,” a greater focus on transformative adaptation is required. Transformative adaptation tackles the root causes of vulnerability including unevenly distributed power relations, and extant networks of control and influence. There are, however, relatively few examples of moving from the theory of transformative adaptation to practice. Three recent practical examples of transdisciplinary approaches, that we have direct experience of as researchers, provide lessons for initial ways forward as part of climate risk management initiatives. Examples from Vietnam, East and Southern Africa, and Guatemala illustrate the importance of inter- and transdisciplinary responses whereby the inequalities underlying unequal power structures may be addressed, enabling farmers to pursue climate risk management pathways that contribute to climate resilience and human development, as epitomized by the Sustainable Development Goals
Redefining the social contract in Africa
No full textThis is a summary note of the virtual seminar The Nordic contribution to EU-Africa cooperation in times of threatened multilateralism held on 30 November 2020. Thought leaders, scholars and policymakers from Africa and Europe discussed the need to strengthen the social contract in Africa, and how the Nordic countries can contribute to the future of EU-Africa relations.Roundtable participants: Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, special representative of the UN secretary-general to the African Union; Kwesi Aning, head of research, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre; Jakkie Cilliers, head of African Futures & Innovation, Institute for Security Studies; Eleanor Fisher, head of research, the Nordic Africa Institute; Adebayo Olukoshi, director, Africa and West Asia, International IDEA; Geert Laporte, director, European Think Tanks Group; Sinikka Antila, EU ambassador to Namibia; Torbjörn Pettersson, former ambassador of Sweden to Ethiopia, the African Union, IGAD and Djibouti; and Amanda Hammar, president, European African Studies Association.</p