Linking Gender Equality, Food Security and Livelihoods: Learning from Integrated Programming in Sierra Leone.

This learning paper presents lessons from Concern Worldwide’s experience of integrating gender equality into livelihoods, nutrition and resilience programming in Sierra Leone, drawing on learning from the LANN, Nutrition Smart Community and Yoti-Yoti programmes. Through the use of Farmer Field Schools (FFS), Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), Community Conversations and Living Peace groups, the programmes explored how combining technical agricultural support with gender-transformative approaches could strengthen food security, nutrition and household wellbeing.

Implemented in communities facing persistent gender inequalities, the programmes used practical livelihoods platforms to create spaces for women and men to reflect on farming practices, household decision-making, labour sharing, resource control and nutrition. Rather than treating gender equality as a standalone activity, discussions on social norms, unpaid care work, leadership and access to productive resources were embedded within agricultural training and community-level engagement, helping to link equality considerations to everyday livelihood decisions.

The paper highlights lessons on using Farmer Field Schools as entry points for gender-transformative programming, engaging men while maintaining a focus on women’s agency and rights, and combining livelihoods interventions with dialogue-based approaches that address household and community dynamics. It also underscores the importance of skilled facilitation, safeguarding, intersectional analysis and sustained engagement to support meaningful participation and longer-term social change. These lessons can inform the design of integrated livelihoods, food security and resilience programmes seeking to achieve more equitable and sustainable outcomes for women, men and vulnerable groups in Sierra Leone and similar contexts.