AWARD launches programme to support 47 women plant breeders across Africa
A new programme funded by the Gates Foundation will support 47 women plant breeders from 14 African countries.
In Brief
- •A new programme funded by the Gates Foundation will support 47 women plant breeders from 14 African countries.
- •The initiative aims to address the underrepresentation of women in plant breeding and improve the adoption of new crop varieties among women smallholder farmers.
- •The programme will work with six research institutions in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria to identify gender gaps and develop action plans.
- •The Gender Responsive Research for Optimized Women-led Breeding Systems (GROW) Fellowship will equip women breeders with technical and leadership skills over two years.
- •AWARD has run 18 fellowship cycles, graduated more than 1,200 fellows, and worked with about 460 institutions in 26 African countries.
Why It Matters
The programme aims to address the significant underrepresentation of women in plant breeding, which can lead to crop varieties that do not meet the needs of women farmers. By supporting women plant breeders and improving gender responsiveness in agricultural research, the initiative seeks to enhance the adoption of new crop varieties and benefit women smallholder farmers. This effort is crucial for achieving gender equality in agriculture and ensuring that agricultural research is inclusive and reflective of the needs of all farmers.
Key Details
- Number of women plant breeders supported
- 47
- Number of African countries involved
- 14
- Number of research institutions involved
- 6
- Duration of the GROW Fellowship
- 2 years
- Number of fellowship cycles run by AWARD
- 18
- Number of fellows graduated by AWARD
- 1,200
- Number of institutions worked with by AWARD
- 460
- Number of African countries AWARD operates in
- 26
Context & Background
AWARD, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development, was established in 2008 to address the underrepresentation of women in agricultural research and development. The organization has since run multiple fellowship cycles, graduated thousands of fellows, and worked with hundreds of institutions across Africa.
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