Lessons for research funders from locally led action research on women’s empowerment among pastoralists

Pastoralists and agropastoralists living in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCAS) face particular challenges, and women and girls are typically especially marginalised.

The need to promote women’s empowerment among pastoralists and agropastoralists in FCAS served as the motivation for an action research initiative that was undertaken by three locally-led projects, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and led by SPARC, in Nigeria and South Sudan.

This brief distils lessons from these locally-led action research projects, and targets research funders who want to fund research in FCAS. The lessons are:

• Research funders should fund action research as it helps to address the need for immediate tangible benefits.
• Flexibility with progress milestones and disbursement schedules helps researchers cope with volatility and unpredictability.
• Research proposals need to articulate how access to and trust of both women and men will be gained if the aim to shift gender norms is to be achieved.
• Research funders should set expectations appropriate for the type of implementing organisation carrying out the research, to support better outcomes.