Journal articleIFPRI3; ISI; CRP2; GRP42; F.4 Strengthening Property Rights and Assets; G Cross-cutting gender themeEPTD; PHND; PIMPRCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM

The past 50 years of water policy have seen alternating policies emphasize the state, user groups, or markets as essential for solving water-management problems. A closer look reveals that each of these solutions has worked in some places but failed in others, especially when policies attempted to spread them over too many countries and diverse situations. A study of the variable performances of user groups for canal irrigation in India illustrates the factors that affect institutional performance. Research that identifies the critical factors affecting irrigation institutions can lead to sustainable approaches that are adapted to specific contextual attributes.

Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG) on gender equality and women’s rights and at least 11 of the 17 SDGs require indicators related to gender dynamics. Despite the need for reliable indicators, stylized facts on women, agriculture, and the environment persist. This paper analyzes four gender myths: 1) 70% of the world’s poor are women; 2) Women produce 60 to 80% of the world’s food; 3) Women own 1% of the world’s land; and 4) Women are better stewards of the environment. After reviewing the conceptual and empirical literature, the paper presents the kernel of truth underlying each myth, questions its underlying assumptions and implications, and examines how it hinders us from developing effective food security policies.

Journal articleIFPRI3; ISI; GAAP; CRP2; CRP4; GAAP; F Strengthening institutions and governance; G Cross-cutting gender themeEPTD; PHND; PIM; A4NHPRCGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM); CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH

• The pro-WEAI is a new tool designed to meet projects’ impact assessment needs. • Projects identified and field-tested pro-WEAI indicators using mixed methods. • Pro-WEAI is mapped to 3 domains: intrinsic, instrumental, and collective agency. • Pro-WEAI is decomposable into sub-indices, indicators, and by population subgroup. • Women are more disempowered and have a higher intensity of disempowerment than men.