Embedding gender in conservation agriculture R4D in Sub-Saharan Africa: Relevant research questions

This resource examines the impact of gender relations on Conservation Agriculture (CA) adoption and adoption mechanisms. It offers a set of research questions to help integrate gender considerations into CA research for development, including on topics such as gender dynamics at the household and community level, minimum tillage, crop rotation and diversification, residue management, and knowledge networks

Enhancing the gender-responsiveness of your project's technical farmer training events

This resource sets out simple suggestions for ensuring that women as well as men feel included in training events, are fully informed about technological options, learn effectively, and have the confidence to implement what they have learned. Over time, if their experience has been successful, they should be able to build on the training course to innovate by themselves in response to their needs and changes in the wider environment

Leaving no one behind: Supporting women, poor people, and indigenous people in wheat-maize innovations in Bangladesh

This guidance note for scientists and research teams acknowledges the complexity of marginalization processes and provides recommendations for making sure no one is left behind. It draws on GENNOVATE findings from a community in Bangladesh where the indigenous Santals, Bengali Muslims, and Hindus live and work together

Strengthening women in wheat farming in India: Old challenges, new realities, new opportunities

This resource provides guidance for scientists, researchers, and rural advisory services in wheat-based systems on how to better target women in all communities and how to improve inclusion for everyone. It builds on 12 case studies conducted across India’s wheat belt under CRP WHEAT. It discusses how norms are shifting in parts of rural India to accommodate open recognition of women as farmers and managers of wheat and as adopters of associated technologies, including zero tillers, combine harvesters, and improved varieties of wheat

Integration of gender considerations in climate-smart agriculture R4D in South Asia: Useful research questions

Aimed at researchers working with climate-smart agriculture in South Asia, this resource suggests a set of issues to consider in relation to the integration of gender in climate-smart agricultural research for development. Climate change often exacerbates the problems and inequities that poor rural women face. The feminization of agriculture underscores the need to ensure that both men and women are able to learn about, try out, take up, and benefit from improved agricultural technologies, including climate-smart practices

Challenging gender myths: Promoting inclusive wheat and maize research for development in Nepal

This technical note provides research evidence debunking four gender myths: 1) men are the main decision makers; 2) women don’t do much in wheat and maize; 3) women don’t innovate; and 4) women lack resources for innovation. Data is drawn from six GENNOVATE Nepal case studies in the Myagdi, Chitwan, Rupandehi, and Jajarkot Districts. The resource posits that understanding and working with women in wheat- or maize-related innovation processes will help to improve the design and relevance of innovations

Gender and innovation processes in maize-based systems

This MAIZE report offers a panorama of the gender dimensions of local agricultural innovation processes in the context of maize-based farming systems and livelihoods

Echocardiography service provision in New Zealand: capacity modelling the cardiac sonographer workforce

Aim: Regional disparity in both utilisation and the cardiac sonographer workforce has previously been identified. We sought to model the capacity of the cardiac sonographer workforce at a national and District Health Board level to better understand these regional differences. Method: In 2013, surveys were distributed to 18 hospitals who employ cardiac sonographers (return rate 100%). Questions related to cardiac sonographer demographics, echo utilisation and workflow. Actual clinical capacity was calculated from scan duration and annual scan volumes. New Zealand national actual capacity was compared to predicted capacity from three international models. Potential clinical capacity was calculated from the workforce size in fulltime equivalent (FTE) and clinical availability. Results: In New Zealand, scan duration and population-based clinical capacity varies between centres. The New Zealand capacity is similar to the UK 30:70 model, and consistently less than the US model for all scan types. There are marked regional differences in potential versus actual capacity, with 10/16 DHBs demonstrating excess potential capacity. Conclusion: There is regional disparity in the capacity of the cardiac sonographer workforce, which appears to be strongly related to scan duration. Workforce capacity modelling should be used with need and demand modelling to plan adequate levels of service provision

The oxygen isotope effect in the ab-plane reflectance of underdoped YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-delta}

We have measured the effect of oxygen isotope substitution on the ab-plane reflectance of underdoped YBCO. The frequency shift of the transverse optic phonons due to the substitution of O-16 by O-18 yields an isotope effect of the expected magnitude for copper-oxygen stretching modes with alpha=0.5 +- 0.1. The reflectance shoulder at 400 - 500 cm^-1 shows a much smaller exponent of alpha=0.1 +- 0.1 in the normal state and alpha=0.23+- 0.1 in the superconducting state. These observations suggest that the shoulder is of electronic origin and not due to a phonon mode as has been suggested recently.Comment: 4 pages 2 figure

From working in the wheat field to managing wheat: women innovators in Nepal

This article presents research conducted in Nepal’s Terai plains in 2014-15 showing that women are innovating in wheat to the extent that wheat farming is experiencing a shift from feminization of agricultural labor towards women taking control over decision making. Processes accounting for this include male out-migration, non-governmental organizations working on promoting women’s equality that has developed women’s confidence, individual support from extension agents, and strong cooperation between women to foster each other’s “innovation journeys.