As a Rural Development Policy Advisor, Natasha Mwila applies research results to real-life situations and uses her plant breeding skills to support improved seed varieties. Her path to success has faced its obstacles, particularly with regard to gender, so her objective is to evaluate current policy strengths and weaknesses in relation to women’s participation in leadership roles and provide optimum solutions to address identified gaps. Natasha believes that by accessing the networks made available through the GRASP Fellowship, she will be able to identify opportunities for increasing women’s participation at agricultural research institutions – and also ensure women are recognized in key leadership positions.