We were delighted to partner with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uganda to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the United Nations, and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations to host a side event at the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 68).

The event, held on March 15, 2024, at the UN Headquarters in New York, convened different-level actors from the government, the diplomatic corps, civil society, researchers, and policy practitioners working across agrifood systems.

Spotlighting AWARD’s Gender Responsive Agricultural Systems Policy (GRASP) Fellowship, the event catalyzed conversations on how gender-responsive policies in food and agriculture can foster equitable agrifood systems, reduce poverty, and accelerate African socio-economic development.

Discussions highlighted some Africa-specific trends and options regarding equitable agrifood systems and the status of women in Africa’s agrifood systems.

Below are the panelists who took part in the side event;

Watch the keynote address delivered during the side event by Ambassador Nausca-Jean Jezile, Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to FAO and the CFS Chairperson:

With CIFOR-ICRAF and the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform, we were delighted to convene leading global experts in agricultural research for development to mark the 2024 International Women’s Day as we illuminated some impactful investments in women.

The event featured interactive conversations and storytelling fireside chats as we discussed “Investing in women to accelerate progress toward equitable agrifood systems.”

This year’s IWD theme sought to spotlight actions toward closing the equality gender gap by 2030 to secure prosperous and just economies and a healthy planet for future generations.

With global trends indicating gender equality having only advanced by 4.1 percent and the gap is substantially widening, it is imperative to pay attention to gender-responsive approaches driving positive change across the agrifood systems.

This forum ignited conversations on investments in women, shifting the needle toward equitable agrifood systems while calling for better targeting of such investments for accelerated progress. Discussions spotlighted how to invest in agricultural solutions that work for women and the role of institutions in improving the numbers and experiences of women in agrifood systems leadership.

The panel conversations featured a host of thought leaders and scientists working in gender-responsive agricultural research and development.

Headlining the conversations was a panel discussion with Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro, CEO of CIFOR-ICRAF, and Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General, ILRI, moderated by Dr. Susan Kaaria, Director AWARD, that explored the role of institutions in improving the experiences and numbers of women in science.

We invite you to watch the video below to relive the event and the ensuing conversations. We also encourage you to learn from our guests’ experiences and how they contribute to investing in women to accelerate progress toward equitable agrifood systems.

African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) hosted a virtual closing ceremony for 54 beneficiaries (27 mentors and 27 mentees) AWARD-ICWAE Special Mentoring Program participants.

The ceremony featured a reflection session with three mentors on their roadmap to professional success and a storytelling session with five mentees who narrated their experiences and outcomes of their mentorship journey throughout the program.

The event marked the culmination of the two-year virtual and non-residential mentoring program that aimed to equip women agricultural economists in the global south with the core skills, networks, and practical resources to develop themselves, enhance their visibility, and increase their legitimacy and relevance in the agricultural sector.

The AWARD-ICWAE Special mentoring program is a collaboration of AWARD and the International Association of Agricultural Economics (IAAE) through its International Committee of Women in Agricultural Economics (ICWAE).

Speaking during the ceremony, Professor Cheryl Doss (IAAE/ICWAE Program Coordinator) highlighted the underlying need that necessitated the formulation of the program to address the gap in mentoring opportunities for mid-career women agricultural economists who require additional mentoring support to elevate their career progression.

“There are a number of programs that cater to graduate students and post-doctoral mentoring programs. We were really interested in facilitating mentoring programs for women agricultural economists who require some additional mentoring and encouragement to take the next steps in their careers,” she said.

AWARD and ICWAE build on their shared vision for developing a community of women agricultural economists with a transformative leadership mindset to influence policy and practice and trigger agricultural transformation in the developing world.

Mentoring plays a pivotal role in achieving this common vision. It is a powerful tool for developing unique skills and leveraging and capitalizing on learning opportunities to support personal and professional development.

The event also featured the launch of AgSpirations Volume 3: Inspiring Stories of Change Booklet, which is a publication by AWARD that features a collection of stories from select mentors and mentees of the AWARD-ICWAE Mentoring Program.

We invite you to watch two documentaries featuring AWARD-ICWAE program participants, Dr Evelyne Kihiu (2022 AWARD-ICWAE Mentee and Agricultural Economist, International Potato Centre, CIP) and Dr. Beatrice Muriithi (2022 AWARD-ICWAE Mentor and Research Scientist and Agricultural Development Economist, International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology, ICIPE) as they share their experiences and outcomes of the Program.

Watch the recorded live-stream video below to re-live the event proceedings.

African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) launched its new five-year strategy, 2023-2027, on November 9, 2023, at the Trademark Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.

Marking 15 years since our founding, the strategy’s launch signifies the continued pursuit of our promise to contribute to agriculture-driven transformation for equitable livelihoods, emphasizing gender responsiveness as a critical lever.

The new blueprint is built on three strategic pillars defining AWARD’s mission towards elevating Africa’s agricultural research for development (AR4D) context.

The strategy launch was preceded by a storytelling event that featured six anglophone and francophone Laureate Candidates from various cohorts.

Watch the video below for a recap of the strategy launch event.

African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) hosted a side event at the 19^th RUFORUM Annual General Meeting (AGM) themed “Transforming Higher Education to Sustainably Feed and Create Prosperity for Africa” from October 28 to November 2, 2023 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

In partnership with RUFORUM, AWARD co-hosted a training workshop for University Principals and Deans on “Strengthening Gender Responsiveness for Inclusivity in Agricultural Higher Education and Research.” The training, designed by AWARD Training, will equip the participants, who are senior managers of higher learning institutions, with knowledge of the role of gender responsiveness in resource allocation, formulation, and implementation of agricultural programs in universities.

AWARD trainers led by Ms. Monica Kapiriri (Facilitator and Development Consultant) and Ms. Adeline Muheebwa (Gender and Development Consultant) facilitated the training.

African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) participated in the 2023 annual CGIAR Gender research conference in New Delhi, India, from October 9-12, 2023. The international conference “From research to impact: Towards just and resilient agri-food systems” addresses the gender and social inequalities at the heart of food systems.

In addition to an exhibition booth, AWARD featured in two sessions of the conference:

Dr. Michèle Mbo’o-Tchouawou, Deputy Director – Programs, AWARD, participated in a plenary panel discussion on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, titled “From Research to Impact: Towards Agri-Food Systems Transformation.”

The panelists were as follows:

• Dr. Lauren Phillips, Deputy Director – Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• Dr. Meredith Soule, Division Chief, Inclusive Development – United States Agency for International Development, USAID
• Dr. Michèle Mbo’o-Tchouawou, Deputy Director – Programs, AWARD
• Ms. Neena Joshi, Interim Senior Vice President – Asia, Heifer International
• Mr. Nishant Gupta, Social and Environmental Impact Advisor, Walmart India
• Dr. Rukmi Rao, Founder, Gramya Resource Centre for Women (Invited – TBC)
• Vice-Chancellor (TBC)

Moderator:

• Ms. Vivian Atakos, Global Engagement, and Policy, CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform

Dr. Laura Estelle, a Researcher in Zoology and Genetics at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Biosciences et Biotechnologies Appliquées (ENSBBA) of the Université Nationale des Sciences, Technologies, Ingénierie et Mathématiques (UNSTIM), in the Republic of Benin and 2020 One Planet Laureate Candidate also participated as a panelist in a parallel session on Preparing Future-Ready Youths for Agri-Food Challenges, which was held on Monday, October 9, 2023, in New Delhi, India.

Session Title: How Gender-responsive Climate Adaptation Solutions Can Accelerate Resilient Food Systems in Africa

Date: Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Time: 10:30- 12:00 am EDT/ 5:30- 7:30 pm EAT

Venue: Room 520B, Africa Pavilion

Overview

African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) hosted a panel session at the  7^th Adaptation Futures Conference in Montreal, Canada.

This session spotlighted gender-responsive climate research’s role in fostering equitable food systems and presented lessons from initiatives in the global south that address gendered knowledge gaps in climate services. AWARD showcased some of the gender-responsive adaptation solutions and the potential of transformative initiatives that focus on African researchers to develop gender-responsive, context-specific scalable solutions for African smallholders.

The following questions were explored:

• What is the scope and shape of gender-responsive climate change research on the African continent? Which are the models to be celebrated and emulated?
• What tools exist to guide researchers in designing more equitable food systems and climate change research?
• What are some of the promising game-changing gender-responsive solutions that can move the needle in accelerating climate adaptation?
• What are some of the capacity-strengthening priorities we need to pay attention to accelerate African-led climate change research?
• What is some of the recent evidence on gendered access to, use of, and benefit from climate information services, and how can we use this evidence?
• What else do we need to pay attention to for accelerated progress?

Panelists

• Dr. Susan Kaaria, Director, AWARD, Kenya
• Dr. Meseret Tesema, 2020 One Planet Laureate Candidate, Hawassa University, Ethiopia
• Ms. Marie-Therese Daba Sene, 2020 One Planet Laureate Candidate, Gaston Berger University, Senegal
• Ms. Michelle du Toit, Director, Africa and Regional Engagement, Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), South Africa
• Dr. Obed Ogega, Programmes Manager, African Academy of Sciences (AAS), Kenya

Moderator

• Ms. Dorine Odongo, Senior Manager, Communications, AWARD, Kenya

About the 8th Africa Agribusiness and Science Week (AASW)

The Africa Agribusiness and Science Week (AASW) is organized by the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA) as a major continental platform for all stakeholders involved in agriculture and agribusiness research and innovation in Africa. The 8th AASW will be held in  Durban, South Africa, from June 5th to 8th, 2023. AASW will convene over 1,500 stakeholders to take stock of progress on research and innovation, share information, network, create business alliances, and map out priorities for joint action. AASW will focus on strengthening linkages between agribusiness and science plus innovation to improve the continent’s productivity and competitiveness in agro-industry. FARA is co-organizing the event with the CAADP partners, i.e., CCARDESA, ASARECA, CORAF, AFAAS, the Government of the Republic of South Africa and in collaboration with numerous other partners, including AUC, AUDA, GFAR, YPARD, PAFO, One CGIAR, FAO, AFDB, UNIDO, AGRA, AWARD, RUFORUM, amongst others.

Overview and Objective of the parallel session

Session Title: “Making African Food Systems Gender-Responsive for Equitable Livelihoods”

The recently released United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s report on the Status of Women in Agrifood Systems presents new evidence which underscores the central role of gender equality and women’s empowerment in achieving sustainable agrifood systems. The report highlights not only why closing the gender gap is an urgent imperative but also how strategies such as the adoption of gender-transformative approaches can move the needle.

This session will illuminate what needs to be done to accelerate progress toward equitable and healthy food systems and highlight why gender-responsive agriculture is a fundamental prerequisite. Discussions will provide insights into the role of gender-responsive policies in fostering equitable agrifood systems able to provide healthy, nutritious solutions for women, children, and men.

Speakers will share some of the ways we can achieve equitable food systems that address positive nutritional outcomes and highlight some of the commitments that are required to make this a reality.

Key Questions

1. What are some of the persisting obstacles to achieving equitable food systems?
2. What existing strategies can we emulate to ensure our food systems respond to the nutritional needs and unique contexts?
3. What are some of the critical changes we must make to face the future of our food systems more efficiently?
4. How can policies make a substantial difference?
5. How must the systems and structures (governance, financial, administrative) of agricultural research and development change to unlock the potential of gender-responsiveness?

Speakers

Partners