As part of the ongoing CGIAR funded research project “Poverty squares and gender circles: unraveling agriculture gaps, challenges and opportunities in Eastern Gangetic Basin” – India, Nepal and Bangladesh, SaciWATERs with the support of UNDP Cap-Net, CGIAR WLE and SCaN carried out a two-days (16-17 Dec) training program on water rights, equity and gender at Marina’s Motel, Bagdogra, West Bengal, India.
The objective of the training was to refresh participants’ awareness on water rights, equity, and gender issues and to encourage participants to practically apply the concepts in their project/programme settings. A total of 20 participants attended the workshop from India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The participants comprised key decision-makers from the irrigation and agriculture departments of India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Janwillem Liebrand, Netherlands and coordinated by Dr. Aditya Bastola and Manish Maskara. The research teams from each country presented country level reflections from the field and the emerging core problems were identified based on which recommendations and action plan were discussed by the participants.
The workshop provided the space to highlight the major challenges faced by government officers in implementing gender in irrigation and agriculture development projects. The participants shared the prospective solutions/mechanisms to the core problems identified based on which the research uptake was discussed. The workshop provided a platform to bring together researchers and practitioners, decision-makers to share and enhance the knowledge on gender, water rights and equity. ')}
