Despite significant advances in advocating for a better understanding of gender in development, gender sensitive policy-making in mainstream development sectors remains a significant challenge.

The recent renewed interest in agriculture by policy makers has put the importance of agricultural growth and increased agricultural production for poverty reduction back on the international agenda. However, as the agricultural growth for development agenda moves forward in the context of opportunities through globalisation, improved technology and access to markets, why aren’t the advances in understanding gender and changing gender roles translated into policy which reflects the opportunities and challenges which women face?

In this meeting Rachel Slater, Research Fellow, ODI; Lynn Brown, World Bank and Arry Fraser, Oxfam GB, will be discussing the key opportunities and challenges to mainstreaming gender through high-profile policy processes such as the 2008 World Development Report on agriculture. Chaired by Steve Wiggins, Research Fellow, ODI.

This event is to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Oxfam’s Gender and Development Journal, a special issue on Rural Livelihoods and Agriculture (March 2008).