Participants of the 3rd ASEAN Climate Leadership Programme (ACLP III) explored gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) integration in climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in its third module held on 19-20 March 2025, held virtually. Through lectures and exercises, participants discussed and learned to integrate GESI into decision-making processes to foster a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural sector in the ASEAN region.
Gender experts from the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) provided basic concepts, tools, and frameworks on GESI. Participants were encouraged to integrate GESI into their research and development interventions to reflect diverse experiences, needs, and priorities, leading to more relevant and effective policies or projects.
Understanding GESI concepts
Ms Blesshe Querijero, IIRR gender expert, provided the participants with an overview of the basic GESI concepts and their importance in climate action. In her presentation, Ms Querijero emphasised the need to consider diverse groups’ varying needs and resource access from project design to implementation of climate projects. She discussed key concepts in GESI integration, including sex versus gender, intersectionality, access vs. control over resources, participation, empowerment, and sex-disaggregated data (SDD).
“Participation and empowerment are crucial for sustainable outcomes. By addressing power dynamics and promoting equitable opportunities, projects can empower communities and achieve long-term sustainability,” said Ms Querijero.
When designing a project or proposal, the IIRR gender experts encouraged participants to define the basis of participation for stakeholders to determine the extent to which stakeholders are involved in the process and influence the project’s inclusivity and effectiveness. Ms Querijero also highlighted the importance of participation in decision-making processes, particularly for marginalised groups, to ensure empowerment and ownership.
In the second lecture, Ms Magnolia Rosimo, also from IIRR, discussed GESI in CSA practice with sample cases on how they applied relevant concepts at the community level.
Ms Rosimo emphasised that climate change impacts vary by location and context, affecting regions, communities, and municipalities differently. “For example, its effects in the Philippines differ from those in Myanmar or Cambodia. Adaptation, therefore, is crucial for policymakers and organisations to address each community’s unique vulnerabilities,” she noted. In incorporating GESI into programming, particularly in addressing climate change and community adaptation, Ms Rosimo explained that “climate change affects men and women differently due to their distinct roles, needs, access to resources, and decision-making capacities.” She then introduced frameworks and tools to address these disparities, including the Moser Gender Analysis Framework, Harvard Analytical Framework, and the Women Empowerment in Agriculture Framework.
Leading in a VUCA world
Meanwhile, in the leadership focus of the third module, participants engaged with Theory U Stage 2: Sensing Journeys, and Stage 3: Pre-sensing, which helped deepen their understanding of personal and organisational transformation.
Led by Andre De Wit, ACLP facilitator and Dean of Leadership Academy Amsterdam, the participants explored the challenges of operating in a VUCA world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. In an exercise, participants explored important developments expected to impact the ASEAN region until 2035. They also analysed their professional networks to identify potential collaborations and resources among themselves, which is among the aims of ACLP.
The 27 ACLP participants are now preparing their respective personal change projects (PCPs) with guidance from their mentors and coaches. They will present the progress of their PCPs in Module 4 which will be held in Bali, Indonesia in April.
Prepared by By Sonny P. Pasiona, SEARCA
Photo: SEARCA
The ACLP III is jointly organized by the ASEAN-EU-German Climate Action Programme (CAP) and Promotion of Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains in ASEAN (ASEAN AgriTrade II), with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and cofinanced by the European Union (EU), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The programme is coordinated with the ASEAN Secretariat, specifically the Food, Agriculture, and Forestry Division (FAFD) and the Environment Division (ED). The SEAMEO Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) provides technical and knowledge management support.
