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.