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Women play a pivotal role in agriculture. In the rice sector, more than 500 million women around the world are engaged in rice cultivation. Similar to men, women are engaged in rice production, postharvest, and processing, yet they continuously face gender-specific obstacles that put them at a significant disadvantage due to limited access to resources, learning opportunities, and farming technologies.

Access to education, whether formal or non-formal, is fundamental in empowering women. Education equips women with the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence to achieve their life goals. However, inequalities remain in educational access between men and women in different parts of the world. According to recent data, 122 million girls remain out of school globally, mostly due to geographic location and poverty. The World Inequality Database in Education (WIDE) and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics reported 10 countries that showcased the inequalities faced by women and girls in education. In these countries, 7 in 10 of the poorest young women of upper secondary school age are out of school, while in Guinea and Mali, almost all poor young women are not in school.

The exclusion of women and girls from education is influenced by various factors which are particularly intensified in rural areas where agriculture serves as a primary source of livelihood. Investing in women’s education has a broader societal impact. According to UNESCO, making sure that women have access to secondary and tertiary education increases their agency and decision-making and elevates their prospects for decent work, thereby fostering economic growth on a global scale.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) believes that women should have access to formal and non-formal education, especially in the field of rice science. As the institute’s educational and capacity-building arm, IRRI Education is at the forefront of making this happen by providing capacity development programs in various disciplines of rice science and technology. IRRI Education encourages the participation of women in its programs, specifically in its training courses and scholarship opportunities.

As one of the flagship programs of IRRI Education, short-term training courses have been offered since the establishment of the institution. These courses involve immersive engagements that focus on research, innovation, and knowledge and skills improvement. Through lectures with experts, hands-on learning, and on-field experiences, these training programs have empowered women, boosting their confidence and morale with their skills and competencies.

Notable training topics include rice breeding technologies, rice production, and postharvest technology, research data analysis and management, information technology, quality seed production, and pest and disease management. In recent years, a growing need to mainstream gender in rice research and technology has been identified. In response to this, IRRI Education designed and developed a training program that aims to educate participants with the importance of addressing social concerns including the gender dimension in agriculture and rice
research for development and extension. This training helps participants to learn how to integrate gender in rice research planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation as well as in leadership styles, and in the workplace. Additionally, through this training, they will be able to identify opportunities to contribute to the development of gender-responsive projects/programs.

Since 1964, more than 4,000 women have been trained under IRRI Education’s short-term programs, equipping them with the knowledge and skills in various aspects of rice science and research.

IRRI Education also engages women scholars and the youth through degree and non-degree programs. These programs allow qualified individuals to be involved in IRRI’s research platforms, working alongside world-renowned scientists. Since 1962, IRRI has hosted 5,181 scholars of which, 1,772 are women scholars coming from 92 countries around the world. This number is increasing continuously and is expected to soon close the gender gap. For the past five years, a total of 650 participants have completed various programs with IRRI, including students who conducted their research at the institute as well as oOn-the-Jobon-the-job Training (OJT) and internships. Out of the 650 participants, 52% consist of women.

Rice agriculture is continually facing dynamic and complex challenges and women are bearing the brunt of these. Still, the future holds immense opportunities for women and IRRI is dedicated to providing education and capacity building to continuously empower them to thrive in the dynamic field of rice production and science. However, this feat cannot be achieved by IRRI Education alone. There is a great need for collaborative efforts between the national systems, agricultural institutions, and donor organizations to invest in women to drive transformative change and bring about a brighter future for agriculture.

Echoing this thought, Dr. Anilyn Maningas, Head of IRRI Education shared, “Investing in women almost always creates a ripple effect in the sense that they can be very good role models for the family and the community where they are attached to. This could translate to ensuring a next generation that encourages and supports women that could easily extend to the generation to come”.

On 14 March, 26 Grade 1 students from Keys School Manila came to the International Rice Research Insitute’s (IRRI) headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna to participate in the Rice Planting Experience (RPEx) offered by IRRI Education.

Before the hands-on experience, the students were given a short lecture on the basics of rice production by IRRI Education’s facilitation team led by Mr. Aaron Paul Landicho. They were given a brief demonstration on various field activities such as seedbed preparation, pulling of seedlings, seed broadcasting, manual transplanting, and grid marking. Afterwards, the students went into the rice paddies to transplant rice seedlings using their bare hands.

“The Rice Planting Experience program is specifically made for the youth, aiming to immerse them in the practical aspects of rice farming. Through hands-on activities, participants of the program not only gain insights into the significance of rice but also acquire knowledge about diverse rice planting methods,” Aaron quote about the program.

The unique and immersive activity allowed the students to experience the fun and thrill of preparing the land and planting rice using a blend of traditional and modern technologies. By getting their ‘feet wet’ in the fields, participants gain firsthand knowledge and experience of the essential work farmers do to ensure we have rice at our meal tables.

“As the Philippines witnesses a growing population of aging farmers, the need to engage younger generations in agriculture becomes increasingly vital. This is what the RPEx tries to address—help the young ones realize the significant role that farming plays in sustaining life and fostering development in the country,” Aaron quote encouraging participation in RPEx.

The agriculture sector is grappling with multiple challenges that demand the emergence of a new generation of agricultural champions. IRRI Education emphasizes the importance of exposing young minds to agricultural practices as a foundational step towards inspiring their participation and engagement in the field. The RPEx is one of IRRI Education’s initiative to expose young people to the world of agriculture.

Learn more about IRRI Education and its programs at education.irri.org or email us at education@irri.org

Following a successful training implementation last year, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) organized another training on the fundamentals of rice-farm management and operations and farm machinery maintenance tailored for technicians, farm workers, and heavy equipment operators from the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB).

The two-day course is designed to equip participants with the fundamental knowledge and skills required in planning and operating rice farm machinery and equipment, incorporating lesson on the safe practices in operating agricultural machinery for rice production.

On March 13, during the opening program, Dr. Anilyn Maningas, Head of IRRI Education, welcomed the participants, outlining the different activities that they will be undertaking for the duration of the training. Concluding her message, Dr. Maningas urged the participants to actively participate in the discussions, engage with the resource persons, and to share their own knowledge and experiences with each other and with the IRRI team.

Following this, Dr. Adeliza Dorado, Associate Dean for Instruction of UPLB CAFS, also delivered a message stressing the significance of acknowledging the diversity among all involved in the training. She highlighted the inclusion of women participants in this year’s cohort, remarking, “Your participation underscores the invaluable contribution of women to agriculture, reinforcing the need for inclusive growth and equal opportunities in this vital sector”.

Ms. Ma. Lea Villavicencio, University Researcher and the Representative of the IPB Director, also gave a message expressing her gratitude for including staff from IPB into the training program. Echoing the message from Dr. Maningas, Ms. Villavicencio encouraged the participants to actively participate in insightful discussions with the resource persons, fostering a mutual learning environment.

In the course of two days, the participants will be exposed to an intensive program with activities involving lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and field visits, facilitated by IRRI experts in farm management and operations.

For more courses like this visit education.irri.org or email us at education@irri.org

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the College of Agriculture and Food Science of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) organized a 2-day training on the fundamentals of rice-farm management and operations and farm machinery maintenance. 

From November 16 to 17, 30 technicians, farm workers, and heavy equipment operators from UPLB were at the IRRI headquarters to learn the basic knowledge and skills required in planning and operating a rice farm and maintaining rice farm machinery and equipment. The training will also highlight safe practice in operating agricultural machinery for rice production.

During the opening program, Gopesh Tewari, Head of IRRI Education, welcomed the participants. He talked about the role of machineries and mechanization in agriculture and how, moving forward, this would still play a part for agriculture 4.0. Ending his message, he urged the participants to interact and participate in dialogues with different IRRI scientists and resource persons of the program to enhance their knowledge and skills that they can bring back to UPLB. 

Meanwhile, Joanna Kane-Potaka, IRRI’s Deputy Director General for Strategic Engagement and Impact, talked about the core mission of IRRI and the imperatives that goes along with it, focusing on climate change adaptation and mitigation and nutrition and food security. She also shared about the ongoing collaboration between IRRI and UPLB and how the current training is a testament of these efforts. Ending her message, she posed a challenge to the participants, “as you go through this course, look for opportunities how what you’re doing and what IRRI is doing, how we may be able to work together more. If you can identify anything we’re really keen to collaborate more and look for opportunities there.” 

The dean of UPLB’s College of Agriculture and Food Science, Elpidio M. Agbisit, Jr., was also present during the program where he emphasized the importance of the training for the participants whom he considers as the backbone of their college. “This is the opportunity for you to acquaint yourself with the future of agriculture and we have to adjust so that we can [still] be relevant. I hope that everybody will listen, learn, and apply the knowledge that you will gain from this [training]”.

In the span of two days, the participants attended lectures on land preparation, crop establishment, water management and pest management, rice harvesting and post-harvest operations, and power sources in the farm. Aside from these, they also had hands-on training on farm machine maintenance and safety protocols for operating rice farm equipment. Moreover, they visited key IRRI facilities such as the Zeigler Experiment Station, where they observed the operations of post-harvest machineries; the IRRI Plant Growth Facility; and the IRRI Genebank.