May 17, 2022 — African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) has launched the commencement of a mentoring program specially tailored for women agricultural economists. Participants include 14 women agricultural economists competitively selected for the Mentoring Program for Women Agricultural Economists in the Global South. Hailing from 11 countries, including China, Germany, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, the agricultural economists will be supported through a two-year virtual mentoring program aimed at developing their careers and improving their visibility. The 14 mentees have each been paired with 14 mentors carefully chosen to match their area of expertise and career goals.

The 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).

AWARD and ICWAE build on their common vision to increase gender diversity in the agricultural profession and strengthen career advancement, professional success, and recognition for women through this mentoring program. Mentoring has proven a powerful tool for developing unique skills for leveraging and capitalizing on opportunities to support personal and professional growth.

The immersive Mentoring Program kicks off with a Mentoring Orientation Workshop and will include regular mentoring meetings and coaching sessions. The mentoring pairs will participate in a formal mentoring program that will include the use of different tools to support the mentees develop a roadmap toward their career goals.

The International Committee of Women in Agricultural Economics (ICWAE) is a Committee in the International Association of Agricultural Economics to serve women economists in the agricultural economics profession by promoting their career development, furthering their status, and increasing gender diversity in the association.