Conceptual Framework: Gender, Climate Change, and Nutrition Integration Initiative

This policy note describes the key elements of a conceptual framework designed to guide the activities of the Gender, Climate Change, and Nutrition Integration Initiative (GCAN). 

The conceptual framework, developed by the International Food Policy and Research Institute, aims to identify and describe key elements of resilience, while highlighting the linkages with gender and nutrition. The goal of developing the framework is to provide stakeholders from different disciplines and backgrounds with a common point of reference for understanding these complex issues and their interlinkages. The framework can also be used to identify research and evidence gaps, and to highlight entry points for programs and projects that aim to influence outcomes, such as resilience, nutrition, or women’s empowerment. 

The GCAN framework can be adapted to other sources of risk and threats to livelihoods, such as food price shocks, political instability, and conflict. Adapting the framework to explore a specific shock or stress in the context of a particular community, program, or country can yield valuable insights into the potential consequences of that shock; how different people or groups may be affected; how they may respond; and what policies, programs, or actions might be implemented to improve well-being outcomes both short and long term.