The CGIAR Research Program (CRP) on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) works to improve the lives of people the Green Revolution failed to reach. It does this by reducing poverty and hunger for rural families who farm, fish and rear livestock in the world’s large rivers, deltas and coastal systems. It aims to improve agricultural and natural resource management practices and the equity of the social systems in which women and men apply them, through testing and learning from new approaches that increase the value generated by farming systems, whether that value is income, nutrition, or a sense of well-being and security.
AAS started work in Bangladesh in 2012 and WorldFish expanded its engagement in Bangladesh in 2014 through the addition of aquaculture value chain work under CRP Livestock and Fish (L&F) and an aligned country plan of work. Scoping work and bilateral project funding is laying the groundwork for a new AAS hub in Myanmar, in a joint effort with CRPs Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) and Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP). The aim is to develop a joint program of work in Myanmar that advances food and nutrition security through better interventions on rice, fish and water, linking the commodity CRP of GRiSP with the system CRP of AAS, all within a water/river basin governance framework developed by WLE.
The Postdoctoral Fellow will play a key part in implementing collaborative, cross CRP gender research in both countries, anchored around a CGIAR Global Study on Gender Norms, Agency and Innovation in Agriculture & Natural Resources Management, as well as around interest in advancing work on gender and nutrition.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee analysis and writing from the Bangladesh AAS/L&F Global Study case studies, supporting the involvement and gender research capacity development of national colleagues working in CRPs and bilateral interventions.
- Oversee the design, implementation, analysis and reporting of the Myanmar cross-CRP Global Study case studies, supporting the involvement and gender research capacity development of national colleagues working in CRPs and bilateral interventions.
- Contribute to the design and integration of gender transformative approaches within technical and institutional program interventions across CRPs and bilateral projects contributing to CRPs using the case study results, and particularly focused on the L&F technology flagships (fish health, genetics, and feeds research) in Bangladesh.
- Facilitate the integration of gender and social equity in participatory action research processes across CRPs and bilateral projects contributing to CRPs.
- Contribute to the development of partnerships for gender and social science research.
- Strengthen the capacity of WorldFish and its partners to mainstream gender and social equity in their work, and through this process strengthen gender institutional and organizational capacities.
- Contribute to institutional efforts to build research design, analysis and documentation capacity.
- Publish research results in international peer reviewed journals and publicize it thru other communication channels.
Candidates are sought with
- A completed PhD degree in one of the following disciplines: Sociology, Social Anthropology, Gender in Development, Rural Development Studies, Economics, Human Geography, or related fields; optimally with several years of relevant experience in rural development in developing countries.
- 1-2 years of relevant qualitative field work experience including experience in analyzing qualitative data.
- Strong conceptual and empirical understanding of gender relations and social inequality.
- Experience in building gender analysis capacity.
- Knowledge of participatory action research, rural livelihoods, value chains and/or fisheries and aquaculture.
- Able to travel extensively and work in remote areas under difficult conditions.
- Demonstrated quality of judgment and the ability to think strategically, assessing and responding to new challenges in rural development.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to lead and work in multi-cultural teams as well as develop a close and effective working relationship with partners.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and the ability to present coherent and convincing strategic analysis.
- Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft packages and electronic communication.
