FSS held the second Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) Workshop under the Gender, Climate Change and Nutrition (GCAN) Initiative on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. The event brought together key stakeholders to promote dialogue and collaboration on the intersections of gender, climate change, and nutrition.
The GCAN Initiative—implemented by FSS in partnership with We-Action, a local civil society organization—aims to integrate gender equality, climate resilience, and nutrition considerations into policies, programs, and research at both organizational and system levels. The initiative is part of a broader collaborative effort led by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) to ensure agricultural investments, policies, and climate actions fully incorporate women’s empowerment and nutrition objectives.
The workshop began with a welcoming address by Dr. Yeraswork Admassie, who also provided participants with a brief overview of the Forum for Social Studies (FSS), highlighting its mission, vision, and strategic objectives. Following this, Dr. Selam Esayas, the initiative’s coordinator at FSS, introduced the global GCAN initiative, with particular emphasis on the Ethiopia project—its aims, objectives, and activities implemented so far.
The focus of this workshop was “Gender and Climate Change.” To inform discussions, Dr. Tirsit Sahledengel of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES), Addis Ababa University, presented a discussion paper titled “The Nexus between Climate Change, Gender and Mobility in Southern Ethiopia.”
Following Dr. Tirsit’s presentation, an engaging discussion session chaired by Dr. Selam Esayas, the GCAN Project Coordinator, provided participants the opportunity to exchange perspectives, ask questions, and offer constructive comments. The dialogue generated valuable insights that will inform the ongoing implementation of the project’s objectives.
The workshop brought together 22 participants from a range of stakeholder institutions, including government agencies, civil society organizations, academia, and the media.
As part of its commitment to fostering multi-sector collaboration, FSS and WE-Action plan to continue organizing dialogue forums and capacity-building programs to strengthen the integration of gender, climate, and nutrition perspectives in national development initiatives.