Mariam Ouattara inherited her interest in agriculture from her grandmother, who brought her up. Originally from the south-west of Burkina Faso, Mariam has been working for the Ministry of Agriculture since 2009, after training in agronomy and working for several years in the private sector, particularly in rice processing. Mariam is a Senior Agricultural Technician. She trains and advises producers on making farming more profitable, supervises and evaluates agricultural extension tools, and analyses data monitoring agents collect. Through the GRASP initiative, she aims to help improve conditions for women through access to arable land and activities to process agricultural products.