Agspirations Volume 1: Inspiring stories of African agriculture

Foreword

Increasing the productivity of smallholder farmers has the greatest potential to accelerate agricultural-driven development in Africa. Yet, persistent gender gaps across all sectors continue to cripple global efforts toward sustainable development and improved livelihoods. At the same time, communities dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods are at a disproportionately higher risk of the adverse effects of the global warming of 1.5^oC recorded in 2018.¹

The world needs urgent and concerted efforts toward enabling agricultural-dependent communities to thrive in the face of a changing climate. The key to finding solutions is an enhanced focus on the systemic causes of the gender divide in various sectors, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The year 2019 marked the midpoint of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) 2017-2022 strategy. This ambitious strategy seeks to contribute toward Africa's agriculture-driven prosperity by focusing on three pillars of agricultural research and development (ARD): individuals, institutions, and the enabling environment.

We are excited to highlight some of the outcomes of the first half of the strategy implementation and how we, together with our partners, are accelerating global efforts toward sustainable development goals, especially in the context of a changing climate.

Chapter 1

Investing in the next generation of African researchers through fellowships

The One Planet Fellowship is a lifeline, not just to me, but to many more African researchers at the front lines working to improve African smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. It is helping me gain confidence in my research and is developing my scientific and leadership skills.

~ Mevoyon Pamela Karrel Afokpe, 2019 One Planet Laureate candidate

Through our flagship AWARD Fellowship, outstanding high potential women agricultural research scientists, selected following a rigorous and competitive selection process, undertake a career-development program that builds their leadership, mentoring, and scientific research skills. This program secures the pipeline of capable, confident, and influential African women available to lead critical advances and innovations to meet the challenges of the continent's agricultural sector. The flagship AWARD Fellowship was established in 2008, with an inaugural cohort consisting of 59 AWARD Fellows and 59 mentors from 10 anglophone countries and one Lusophone Mozambique.

Today, the flagship AWARD Fellowship continues to expand in scope and geographical coverage with the Pan-African AWARD Fellowship, opening up the benefits of the AWARD Fellowship to women agricultural scientists from francophone Africa. The AWARD Fellowship has strengthened the mentoring, scientific, and leadership skills of 534 of the continent’s top women scientists who continue to record remarkable growth in their careers, with most taking up senior leadership positions, including as vice-chancellors, center directors and policymakers. The 534 women scientists constitute the community of AWARD Fellows and are among the 1,516 direct beneficiaries of the AWARD Fellowship to date.

Working in francophone Africa

The One Planet Fellowship: Investing in the next generation of African scientists supporting action on climate change

Walking the talk: Gender-responsive action with Éveline Compaore

A lifeline that supports sustainable development and addresses climate change

Appreciating the critical role of women in science to transform Africa

Chapter 2

Strengthening African institutions’ capacity to deliver more gender-responsive agricultural research

Strengthening African institutions' capacity to deliver more gender-responsive agricultural research.

~ Dr. Mandefro Nigussie, State Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia

Gender responsiveness holds the transformative potential to enhance agricultural research for Africa's sustained and inclusive economic growth. Under its Gender Responsive Agricultural Research and Development (GRARD) initiative, AWARD aims to catalyze transformative changes in scientists and ARD institutions by enabling these different level actors to conduct and promote agricultural research and innovations that better respond to the needs and priorities of a diversity of women and men across agricultural value chains. AWARD works with institutions in various countries to strengthen their capacity to deliver gender-responsive research from design to implementation and dissemination; and to leverage the talents of diverse research teams, including increasing the number of women agricultural scientists in leadership positions.

Institutional engagement in Ethiopia

Supporting institutional transformation Nigeria

Institutional mentoring in Tanzania

Developing learning programs on gender and agriculture

Chapter 3

Closing the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

When the elevator takes you to the top, be sure to send it back, open, for more women to get to the top.

~ Dr. Jemimah Njuki, Vice-Chairperson, AWARD Steering Committee

While AWARD focuses on building the capacity and skills of agricultural research scientists in Africa, we recognize that agricultural research is only one subset of scientific research, and the gender gap in agricultural research is reflected in other STEM fields more broadly.

Indeed, globally only three percent of women scientists make it to the top of their professions.¹¹ Our analysis revealed that failure to tackle institutional deficiencies and to promote strong and accountable leadership at all levels exacerbates the gender gaps recorded across Africa.¹²

One of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 5, Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, is to ensure women’s full and effective participation in political, economic, and public life.¹³ STEM are essential drivers of this participation, yet systemic inequalities within these disciplines are limiting opportunities: less than 30 percent of the world’s scientists are women, retention rates are low, and few hold leadership positions.¹⁴

The Global Forum on Women in Scientific Research (GoFoWiSeR)

Inspiring the next generation of African Women Scientists

Chapter 4

Partnering for Impact

To influence and change policies and practice, we must rely on affiliated institutions and individuals interconnected with other teams and institutions

~ Dr. Marie-Christine Cormier-Salem, Director, Agropolis Fondation, France

Together with our partners, we have made great strides in supporting individuals and institutions to deliver agricultural innovations that better respond to the needs and priorities of a diversity of men and women and strengthen the production and dissemination of more gender-responsive agricultural research innovation.

Partners spotlight: Agropolis Fondation

Featuring Dr. Marie-Christine Cormier-Salem

AWARD digital footprint

We continued exploiting the potential of digital communication platforms to deepen our communication and stakeholder engagement.

Meet the people behind AWARD's work

Steering Committee

Our steering committee members are the torch that guides AWARD in its quest to equip top African scientists with skills that will improve outcomes for Africa’s smallholder farmers as well as strengthening the voice of the continent’s women, on the farm, in the laboratories, in markets, and in policy forums.

Professor Lateef Oladimeji Sanni
Chair

Project Manager: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Nigeria

Dr. Jemimah Njuki
Vice-Chair

Director for Africa International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg
SC Secretary & ex-officio

Director: African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD)

Ms. Jodi Lilley
Ex-officio

Program Officer Agricultural Development
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)
2018 to 2020

Mr. Oliver Oliveros
Ex-officio

Deputy Director
Agropolis Fondation

Ms. Christine Larson-Luhila
Ex-officio

Senior Governance Advisor and Secretary to ICRAF Board of Trustees, World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
2016 to June 2020

Dr. Katherine Kahn

Senior Program Officer
Agricultural Development, Research & Development
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), USA
October 2020 to current

Professor Frans Swanepoel

Director
Strategic International Partnerships, University of Pretoria(UP), South Africa

Justin Pita

Executive Director
West African Virus Epidemiology (WAVE) project

Ms. Andrea Johnson

Program Officer
Higher Education & Research in Africa, Carnegie Corporation of New York, USA

Dr. Margaret Najjingo Mangheni

Associate Professor of agricultural extension, Makerere University, Uganda

Professor Judith C. Ngalande Lungu

Former Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Mulungushi University and Kwame Nkrumah University and board member, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

Dr. Arona Diedhiou

Senior Research Director
National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD)

Meet the staff

Our staff team is made up of passionate individuals who are very motivated in helping AWARD achieve its objectives and vision. We pride ourselves in creating an environment where creativity flows freely and hence synergy is easily achieved.

Wanjiru Kamau-rutenberg
AWARD Director

Dorothy Mukhebi
Deputy Director, Operations

Hailemichael Beyene
Monitoring and Evaluation Manager

Dorine Odongo
Communications Manager

Donald Onyoni
Senior Manager, Operations Administration and Finance

Anne Omamo
Program Officer

Michele Mboo-tchouawou
Deputy Director, Programs

Marion Kihori
Manager, Operations and Administration

Ndegwa Manjeru
Finance Officer

Obadiah Wambua
Officer, Operations and Administration

Pauline Bomett
Senior Manager, Leadership and Training

Richard Jonyo
Officer, Data Systems and Analysis

Stephen Nyaga
Finance Assistant

Sharon Ogolla
Research Associate

Sabina Bwire
Administrative Assistant

Kenneth Macharia
Program Analyst

Joyce Mukeli
Communications Assistant

Joan Onyango
Communications Assistant

Esther Njeru
Senior Officer, Training and Development

Hellen Ochieng
Senior Training Officer

Trainers

AWARD retains a pool of some of the continent’s leading trainers from 12 African countries to deliver our training courses.

Achille Ephrem Assogbadjo
Agronomist

Adeline Rwashana Muheebwa
Gender and Development Consultant,Trainer, Agribusiness Specialist

Albert Tsindi
Crop Scientist

Allan Bukusi
Leadership Advisor,Training Consultant

Anne Marie Nyamu
Professional Communications

Benjamin Kamoye
Certified Lead Coach,Trainer,Speaker

Christian Kakuba
Population Scientist

Christopher Oyoo Yaye
Governance and Development Consultant

Douglas Ouma
Organizational Development Expert

Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa
Professor, The Editor in Chief

Eric Agoyi
Plant Breeder, Biotechnologist,Seed Technologist

Fletcher M Phiri
Trainer, Consultant

Florence Wandabwa Ambayo
Counselling Psychologist, Behavioural Analyst

Francis Nuwame
Agribusiness Specialist

Joyce Mataya
Organizational Development Practitioner

Maria G. Nassuna-musoke
Theriogenologist Processes Facilitator Leadership & Management Training Consultant

Maria Soummoni
Teacher, Training Consultant

Mavuto Kapyepye
Author, Leadership and Career Coach

Monica Namumbya Kapiriri
Facilitator, Consultant

Nalla Mbaye
Lecturer, Researche

Nicholas Odongo
Animal Scientist

Nooriya Koshen
Trainer and Coach

Pamela Marinda
Lecturer, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Zambia

Pamela Yoga Yieke
Training consultant, Coach

Papa Madiallacké Diédhiou
Professor

Peter Njuho
Associate Professor

Richard Miiro
Agricultural Extension and Development Professional

Rodger Obubo
Research Training Specialist

Salome Gitoho
Organizational Development Expert and Lecturer, United States International University in Africa (USIU-A), Kenya

Sepiso Mungandi District Agricultural Coordinator

Titilope Fakoya
Social Development Specialist

Zalia Ouedraogo Mantoro
Lecturer

¹ IPCC, 2018: Summary for Policymakers. In: Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, H.-O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J.B.R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M.I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, and T. Waterfield (eds.)].

² Mbo’o-Tchouawou, Michèle; Musembi, Leonard Mulei; Beyene, Hailemichael Taye; and Kamau-Rutenberg, Wanjiru, 2019. Gender and leadership in Africa: Exploring the nexus, trends, and opportunities. In 2019 annual trends and outlook report: Gender equality in rural Africa: From commitments to outcomes, eds. Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela; and Njuki, Jemimah. Chapter 3, pp. 32-43. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896293649_03

³ Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Mali, Senegal, and Togo

⁴ https://awardfellowships.org/award-publications/an-assessment-of-the-gender-gap-in-african-agricultural-research-capacities/5a8681ed50399doc928941171/

⁵ IPCC, 2018: Summary for Policymakers, op. cit.

⁶ https://unfccc.int/topics/gender/workstreams/the-gender-action-plan

⁷ https://www.oneplanetsummit.fr/en

⁸ https://asti.cgiar.org/ethiopia

⁹ https://2012-2017.usaid.gov/results-data/success-stories/empowering-women-through-agricultural-development-ethiopia

¹⁰ https://www.kit.nl/

¹¹ https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem/

¹² Gender and leadership in Africa: Exploring the nexus, trends, and opportunities, op. cit.

¹³ https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/

¹⁴ http://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/women-science

¹⁵ African Academy of Sciences, Carnegie Corporation of New York, DFID East African Research Hub, International Development Research Centre Canada (IDRC), National Research Foundation, South Africa, PASET-RSIF, and U.K. Research and Innovation Hub.

¹⁶ http://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/women-science

¹⁷ agrigender.net/uploads/JGAFS-212017-1-Paper.pdf

¹⁸ http://desira2020.eu/the-project/

Download: Agspiration Volume 1