The 2025 Gender Conference, a pivotal gathering at the intersection of gender equality and sustainable development, will be held in Cape Town. It is co-organized by the CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion, International Water Management Institute (IWMI - Southern Africa), Western Cape Government and partners.
This year, the conference aims to accelerate gender equality and social inclusion in food, land, and water systems by identifying evidence-based solutions, fostering collaboration among global stakeholders, and driving policy and innovation that empower women, youth, and socially excluded groups for a more sustainable and resilient future.
For more information, please visit the conference website.
Session 1: Aquaculture for Sustainable Development: Fostering Food Security and Women's Agency
Date: 8 October
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Rohan Shah, Senior Evaluation Specialist at 3ie will lead this session that brings together researchers, implementers, and donors to examine how aquaculture interventions can advance food security and women’s empowerment. It will highlight evidence from impact evaluations, showcase gender-responsive implementation strategies, and identify pathways for scaling inclusive approaches. The discussion aims to bridge research, practice, and investment to inform policy and program design. Aligned with the conference’s goals of sustainable and inclusive food systems, the session promotes cross-sector collaboration to enhance the impact of aquaculture on nutrition, livelihoods, and gender equity.
Session 2: Women's empowerment through and for food security and nutrition
Date: 9 October
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
This session will explore the evolving nexus between women’s empowerment and food security and nutrition (FSN). We will examine how empowerment influences FSN outcomes, as well as how FSN interventions can reinforce women’s agency. Drawing on the findings from 3ie’s Evidence Gap Map on Food Systems and Nutrition and subsequent Rapid Evidence Assessments, the session will bring together researchers, implementers, and policymakers to discuss effective interventions, key evidence gaps, and opportunities for action.
Session 3: Conservative, fragmented, liberal or all? On gender norm stability and change in rural Bangladesh
Date: 9 October
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
An oral presentation by Vegard Iversen, University of Greenwich.