African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) will be leading a session on gender-responsive agricultural policies at the 2020 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) virtual summit. The AGRF is the largest agriculture and food systems event in Africa, which brings together delegates from governments, research communities, development partners and the private sector. This year’s e-forum themed, “Feed the Cities, Grow the Continent: Leveraging Urban Food Markets to Achieve Sustainable Food Systems in Africa”, is a call to action to rethink our food systems to deliver resilient, better nourished, and more prosperous outcomes for all.

In partnership with the United States Agency for International Development  (USAID), AWARD will be hosting a pre-session, “Unlocking the Potential of Gender-Responsive Agricultural Policies to Feed Africa’s cities“, on September 7, 2020, from 3:00 pm -4:30 pm EAT. The session will explore the ways that gender-responsive agricultural policies can enable more inclusive agriculture and food systems.

The AWARD-USAID session will convene agricultural research leaders, private sector actors, emerging women scientists and leaders, key development actors and policymakers. Discussions will focus on tools that guide policymakers in developing and implementing more gender-responsive agricultural policies, as well as strategies to accelerate the careers of women in the agricultural policy sector to maximize the potential of agricultural-driven prosperity in Africa.

Speakers will include Hon. Thokozile Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, South Africa; Hon. Linah Jebii Kilimo, Chief Administrative Secretary, Livestock & Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries, Kenya;  Dr. Susan Kaaria, Lead, Gender Team, Social Policies and Rural Institutions Division at  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Dr. Meredith Soule, Division Chief, Inclusive Development, Bureau of Resilience and Food Security, at the USAID, Ms Tiffany Atwell, Leader of Global Government and Industry Affairs at Corteva Agriscience,  Dr. Caren Grown, Global Director, World Bank’s Gender Group, among others.

The AWARD Director, Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, will also speak at an opening panel on September 8, 2020, that will feature “Women-led Resilience Strategies“.The discussion will focus on the challenges that women agripreneurs and farmers are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, from increased violence to lack of market access and the new strategies the women have had to create to cope. The session will also disclose the most innovative solutions from input distribution at farmer level to feeding children in cities.

We invite you to register and join Africa’s largest agriculture and food systems convening as we explore how to accelerate a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural development in Africa.

Register now to attend the AWARD session and others at the 2020 AGRF virtual summit