February 2014: In collaboration with Landesa, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has released an analysis focused on understanding how gender-asset dynamics relate to household livelihood strategies in India’s state of Odisha.

The paper uses the Gender, Agriculture and Assets Project Framework and finds that employment opportunities for rural women are limited, and that education for both men and women is a key determinant of food security, land ownership and share of land owned by women. The Framework considers not only resources, but also capability to act with assets that include human assets, social assets, physical assets, natural assets and financial assets. The research calls on development interventions to consider the gender context under which they are implemented, in particular by considering gender dynamics and assets within households. It stresses the role of land access and education in improving livelihood outcomes for women.

IFPRI is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [Publication: Land, assets and livelihoods: Gendered analysis of evidence from Odisha State in India]