Background

Led by Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and supported by a grant from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA), the AICCRA project works to increase access to and use of climate information services and smart agricultural technologies for millions of smallholder farmers in Africa. 

AICCRA activities are concentrated in six anchor countries namely: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Senegal and Zambia through the implementation of four components (i) Generation and sharing of knowledge and services, (ii) Strengthening partnerships for the implementation of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and climate information services (CIS), (iii) Adoption of CSA and CIS, and (iv) Project management.

In view of the satisfactory results obtained during the initial phase (2021 – 2023), additional financing from the World Bank was received for the continued implementation of the project. This additional phase of AICCRA focuses on access *and use of* proven climate-smart technologies and innovations adapted to the local context.

About the workshop 

A successful innovation implemented through the project is the Gender-Smart Accelerator Challenge (GSAC). Launched in 2022 by AICCRA Senegal, the gender-smart accelerator addresses some of the financial and infrastructural constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in the agro-industrial sector. 

The challenge aims to promote businesses run by women and/or with strong gender connotations. To this end, it begins with the identification, selection, coaching and support of these companies to facilitate their socio-economic development as well as their well-being. In view of these advantages and the convincing results obtained from the implementation of this concept during the first phase, the Gender-Smart Accelerator Challenge was selected as an innovation to be extended from Senegal to other AICCRA countries, and especially FSRP countries.

The Regional Workshop on the Gender-Smart Accelerator Program in West Africa, therefore, aims to bring together stakeholders involved in the implementation of the AICCRA and FSRP programs in order to reflect and identify the actions to be implemented to facilitate the extension of the Gender-Smart Accelerator in other countries.

Objective

The main objective of this workshop is to facilitate the extension of a gender-smart accelerator program in additional FSRP and AICCRA countries.

Specifically, this will involve:

• Presenting the concept and lessons learned from AICCRA's experience in Senegal to stakeholders, particularly those involved in FSRP and AICCRA;
• Discussing and identifying actions to facilitate appropriation of the concept by others; 
• Proposing actions to facilitate the replication and implementation of this program in FSRP countries and other AICCRA countries;
• Gathering advice and guidance for the success of this extension of the program.

Process and expected outcomes

The in-person workshop will take place as a mini-training event. Sessions will include: plenary presentations on the Accelerator, and group work focusing on proposing actions to be implemented to facilitate the effective adoption of the program elsewhere. 

At the end of this consultation the following outcomes are expected:

• The concept of the Gender-Smart Accelerator, including outcomes and lessons learned, is understood by the participants;
• Proposals for concrete actions to facilitate the extension and implementation of the concept in additional FSRP and AICCRA countries

Participants 

Note, the workshop is by invitation only with participation expected from:

• Representatives of the organizations responsible for implementing AICCRA's work in West Africa: CORAF (West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development), AGRHYMET (Centre Regional de Formation et d'Application en Agrométéorologie et Hydrologie Opérationnelle) and Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
• FSRP country teams
   

Contact

For enquiries or questions about the regional workshop, please contact Belmira Moustapha, AICCRA West Africa Comms Lead at b.moustapha@cgiar.org