Contents:
 1. The PRGA Program participated in the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD), held on March 2010 in Montpellier, France
 2. Young Promising Scientist Woman was the winner of the 'Louis Malassis International Prize', at GCARD (March 2010)
 3. Launch of the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS)
 4. FAO sharpens focus on 'Gender Performance in Agriculture'
 5. New article: Resource-poor rural women innovating in livestock-keeping, by A.Waters-Bayer
 6. Upcoming Events

1. PRGA Program at the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD)

The PRGA Program Coordinator, Dr. Patricia Biermayr, was invited to participate in this important meeting. Gender was a hot button issue at GCARD and the session on gender for inclusive development was no exception, it included a lively mix of videos, panel discussions and interactive nodes to map out practical ways to promote gender equality in agricultural research for development.

Mary Njenga from ICRAF, presented a feedback slide entitled "Addressing Gender for Inclusive Development", which summarizes the gender team work during one of the sessions of this event.

To see slide feedback:
http://www.prgaprogram.org/descargas/FeedbackGenderSessionGCRAD2010.pdf

GCARD parallel session on Gender presentartions:

ftp://www.prgaprogram.org/GCARD/GCARD%20Prentation_Intro_Ruth%20Meinzen-Dick.ppt

ftp://www.prgaprogram.org/GCARD/JennieDeydePryck.pdf

http://www.prgaprogram.org/GCARD/GCARD%20presentation_afa_Esther_Penunia.ppt

http://www.prgaprogram.org/GCARD/Mary Njenga Women in Briquette

2. Dr. Silvia Restrepo was the winner of the 'Louis Malassis International Prize' (March 8, 2010)

The PRGA Program wants to recognize an outstanding Latin American young Scientist Woman; Dr. Silvia Restrepo is an associate professor at the University of Los Andes in Bogota. Silvia was awarded by the Louis Malassis International Scientific Prize, in a ceremony held during the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD) on 29 March in Montpellier, France.

GCARD photo credit

To read more:
http://www.agropolis-fondation.fr/uk/our-actions/Malassis-Prize/louis-malassis-awardees.html

http://www.prgaprogram.org/GCARD/MalassisIntlScientificPrize%202010.pdf

3. Launch of the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS)

GFRAS mission is to provide a space for advocacy and leadership on pluralistic, demand-driven rural and agricultural advisory services.

GFRAS brochure, and limited French and Spanish descriptions, can be downloaded from: http://www.g-fras.org/fileadmin/UserFiles/GFRAS-documents/GFRAS-brochure.pdf

More information can also be found online at: http://www.g-fras.org

4. FAO sharpens focus on 'Gender Performance in Agriculture'

The new toolkit of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will highlight anti-hunger and development efforts by helping countries gather more accurate information on differences between men and women in agriculture.

The 'Agri-Gender Database' was developed in response to a request from the African Commission on Agricultural Statistics (AFCAS) . It offers step-by-step, example-driven guidance on how to collect gender statistics, or sex-disaggregated data, in agriculture.

N .Palmer CIAT photo credit

More information:
http://www.fao.org/gender/gender-home/gender-news/gender-newsdet/en/?dyna_fef%5Buid%5D=41129

5. New article: Resource-poor rural women innovating in livestock-keeping

For rural women in Africa, who often do not have secure access to land, animals are important assets. Women can be extremely creative in finding ways to improve livestock production with the limited means available to them. Recognising their innovativeness can serve as an entry point for women-led joint experimentation that benefit the poor.

In South Africa, this process is strengthening the role of rural women in agricultural research and development, and empowering them even to decide how research funds are used.

N .Palmer CIAT photo credit