Gender and Microfinance: #IGNITEforChange in Burkina Faso

Microfinance institutions are vital for the agricultural sector in Burkina Faso and have a desire to improve their approaches to gender and nutrition in their work. #IGNITEforChange, Tanager’s project in partnership with Laterite and 60decibels, is working to do just that.  In this video, Sokhna Gaye discusses the vital work her and the team are doing with a local microfinance institution to mainstream gender and nutrition.

IGNITE brings Local Service Providers together for a week of learning and collaboration

IGNITE has also forged partnerships with four Local Service Providers – Fair & Sustainable in Ethiopia, Nafaka Kilimo in Tanzania, PanAfricare in Burkina Faso, and Centre for Gender Economics in Nigeria to scale IGNITE’s approach. In early March, IGNITE hosted 12 staff members representing the technical experts from the four LSPs.

Devex Q&A: How a gender focus could spark of dietary change in Africa

Through IGNITE, Tanager, along with partners Laterite and 60 Decibels, is seeking to shine a spotlight on gender and its relationship to nutrition. The initiative — funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — aims to strengthen the ability of African institutions to integrate nutrition and gender into business methods and agriculture interventions.

Transforming the shock of the pandemic into lessons to improve resilience

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to unexpected crises. The crisis disproportionately impacted women, leading to negative consequences on household gender and nutrition outcomes. The pandemic exposed agricultural institutions to risks that impacted day-to-day operations and long-term impact, forcing institutions to adapt to the difficult environment on the ground.

Devex Opinion: Not business as usual — how to reach gender equality and nutrition goals

Africa’s agriculture sector faces long-standing obstacles and opportunities. Many challenges — related to climate change and drought; pests and disease, such as the recent locust infestation in East Africa; gender gaps in access to land, as well as agricultural inputs and extension; and trade — affect farm productivity and nutrition security in intersecting and overlapping ways.