NEWS
A new initiative seeking to drive equitable agricultural transformation through innovative, gender-responsive solutions in Africa has been launched. The initiative, She Leads African Food Futures (SHEAF)Fellowship, is anchored on two pathways that will include establishing a pipeline of confident, capable, and influential women leaders in agri-food systems and enhancing the capacity of women and men in agrifood systems to integrate gender in agrifood policies and programs.
An initiative of AWARD funded by AGRA through the VALUE4HER initiative, SHEAF will integrate leadership development, mentorship, network development, and technical excellence to produce a network of African women equipped to lead and drive gender-responsive agrifood systems programs and policies.
The inaugural Cohort of SHEAF was launched on April 13, 2026, at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, marking the official onboarding of 25 outstanding African women leaders from Kenya, Malawi, and Senegal into the Fellowship.
The Fellows, drawn from 24 institutions across government, academia, research, and the private sector, hold diverse expertise in policy, agribusiness, climate change, entrepreneurship, gender, seed systems, and food systems transformation.
The Fellowship comes at a pivotal moment when Africa continues to grapple with climate-related food insecurity and persistent gender gaps across the food systems. Recent evidence reveals that while women make up a large percentage of Africa’s agrifood workforce, providing essential labor, knowledge, and care that sustain households, communities, and markets, their contribution is often overlooked due to structural inequalities and intersecting forms of discrimination. Investing in women’s empowerment can boost social justice and unlock inclusive growth, food security, and climate resilience.
The SHEAF Fellowship confronts these structural gaps by strengthening African women’s leadership capabilities, amplifying their voices, scaling mentorship and professional networks, and building their technical excellence. Through this holistic approach, the Fellowship positions women to lead, influence, and design gender-responsive agrifood programs and policies at local, national, and regional levels.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Susan Kaaria, Director of AWARD, emphasized the urgency of addressing the systemic leaky pipeline limiting women’s leadership across the food system.
Investing in women’s leadership can drive inclusive economic growth, strengthen food security, and enhance climate resilience across sub-Saharan Africa.
Additionally, during the fireside chat, Ms. Andikuza Litete, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Greenleaf Investments and SHEAF Fellow from Malawi, underscored the need to recognize and elevate women’s leadership at all levels.
“Women across Africa are not just feeding families; they are supporting the whole food system. Yet their leadership often goes unrecognized. I applied to the Fellowship because I saw it as a way to take a bold step to change this narrative and influence change.”
As the world marks the International Year of the Woman Farmer, a rallying call to amplify the vital role women play in feeding and sustaining economies and to elevate their leadership as drivers of change, the SHEAF Fellowship demonstrates what sustained investment in women can achieve at the individual level for the women leaders and the farmers they impact.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Nana Amoa, Director for Gender, Youth, and Inclusiveness, AGRA, highlighted the importance of embedding women’s leadership and perspectives into agricultural policy and program design.
The leadership gap in agriculture is an area we must fill. We must ensure women’s voices are represented in policy and program design. The SHEAF Fellows stand as a testimony to what investing in women farmers can achieve.
Fellows also reflected on the need to connect grassroots realities with decision-making spaces. Ms. Florin Kwamboka, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Alpharise Network Ventures and a SHEAF Fellow from Kenya, observed that farmers’ voices are often absent from policy discussions.
This gap stifles farmer-led innovations. That is what motivated me to join the Fellowship. To identify innovative ways to connect farmers’ voices to policymakers. Ms. Mame Sana Diop, Country Director at Tree Aid and a SHEAF Fellow from Senegal, highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on smallholder farmers, particularly women, who remain largely invisible in decision-making corridors.
Stronger connections between communities and national policies are vital to closing these gaps. This was my motivation for joining the Fellowship: to advocate for community voices and bridge them with national and global agendas.
The launch also marked the commencement of the Fellowship’s first activity, an immersive Women’s Leadership and Management Course designed to enhance the Fellows’ leadership capabilities as they navigate the complexities of Africa’s agrifood systems.