On December 1, 2022, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) will launch the inaugural Gender Responsive Agriculture Systems Policy (GRASP) Fellowship. The launch will feature an interactive policy dialogue: “How can we unlock the potential of gender-responsive agricultural policies to accelerate inclusive development?”

The webinar is part of a series of dialogues under the GRASP Fellowship initiative, aimed at curating conversations with key stakeholders on how to intensify efforts toward fostering policy change for equitable agri-food systems in Africa.

There is a critical need to pay attention to gender-responsive policies and ensure the participation of more women in the policy-making processes. Indeed, government policies should be essential in enabling women’s contributions to the agricultural sector. Well-designed and implemented agricultural policies can help close the gender gap in agriculture.

The good news is that there has been increased attention on closing the persistent gender gaps, with various actors initiating strategies and approaches toward improving women’s representation in the policy debate. For instance, the guidelines for country implementation of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Framework under the Malabo declaration highlight the need for agricultural policies that will drive both facilitate private sector engagement and inclusive, equitable agricultural growth.

The webinar will feature a panel discussion with leading policy experts on gender and agricultural development on the African continent and beyond.

We invite you to register and join us as we spotlight some of the emerging trends in agricultural policies and the policy options for implementing an equitable food system from 1500hrs to 1600hrs EAT.

See the event in your time zone.

About the GRASP Fellowship

An initiative of AWARD funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the GRASP Fellowship is fostering policy change across regional, sub-regional and national levels for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Through the GRASP Fellowship, AWARD seeks to grow a pool of confident, capable, and influential African women to lead policy changes to improve African smallholders’ livelihoods.