The Independent Office of Evaluation (IOE) and the Policy and Technical Advisory Division (PTA) Gender Desk jointly organized a workshop on Gender transformative pathways – towards a Theory of Change on gender equality and women’s empowerment in IFAD operations. The workshop took place in the context of an ongoing IOE synthesis report of evaluation findings on gender equality and women’s empowerment in IFAD’s operations.

The objectives of this workshop were to identify key assumptions and factors within the Theory of Change on gender transformative results, prepared by the synthesis. Participants developed specific impact pathways for some of the thematic areas where IFAD is engaged (e.g. natural resource management, access to markets and value chain development, enterprise development, rural financial services). The workshop generated insights into how transformative change can more systematically be promoted in IFAD operations by highlighting some assumptions that tend to inform the design of interventions as well as key factors that enable or hinder achievement of results on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Around 65 participants attended the workshop, including the Directors of IOE and PTA, and staff from the divisions of Asia and the Pacific; Communications; East and Southern Africa; Environment and Climate; Human Resources; IOE; Latin America and the Caribbean; Near East, North Africa and Europe; PTA and West and Central Africa; the Field Support Unit, the Office of the Secretary, the Quality Assurance Group, and the Strategy and Knowledge Department.