The International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED) hosted the IINDWEGE Methodology Review Workshop as a side event of the Evidence to Action Conference, 2023. The workshop aimed to discuss and identify best practice methodologies for studying the impact of physical infrastructure on nutritious diets (ND), women's economic empowerment (WEE), and gender equality (GE) in low and middle-income countries. The event brought together methodological experts, researchers, and practitioners from various African countries (20 attendees), facilitating knowledge exchange and evidence-sharing to enhance the understanding of infrastructure's effects on nutrition and gender outcomes.
In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA), food price volatility and seasonality of food availability have adverse effect on the welfare of households. Previous studies have shown that lack of infrastructure, particularly in rural areas hinders the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). For instance, lack of infrastructure poses a threat to livelihoods, food security and nutrition, as it restricts access to affordable, healthy, and safe foods. Therefore, well- functioning physical infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water supply systems, and markets could help mitigate the adverse effects of price volatility and seasonality on the availability, accessibility, and affordability of nutritious food. Moreover, developing gender-sensitive infrastructure in SSA and SA could address socio-cultural barriers that disproportionately affect women and girls leading to women's economic empowerment and gender equality. Despite the importance of physical infrastructure in developing countries, there is limited evidence linking it to nutritious diets and gender outcomes.
It is against this backdrop that ICED received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to develop an evidence and gap map (EGM) and an evidence-based theory of change (EBToC) showing the causal linkages and pathways on the impact of physical infrastructure on nutritious diets (ND), women's economic empowerment (WEE) and gender equality (GE) in low and middle-income countries.
The specific objectives of the methodology workshop were:
