Dear friends,

The first quarter of the year has been filled with excitement and progress for AWARD, and I am pleased to share some updates with you.

In February, we closed the Call for applications for the 2025 AWARD Leadership Program for Emerging African Women in Agricultural Sciences, having received an overwhelming 728 applications. We are reviewing the applications and look forward to announcing the winners soon.

February also marked the launch of the inaugural cohort of the AWARD Climate Action Fellowship, which seeks to increase the number of African women leading climate change action and catalyze the production of climate solutions that work for women and men smallholders. The 47 Climate Fellows have recently commenced their mentoring journey, which facilitates mutual learning, networking, and insights into how mentoring can accelerate their career growth.

We launched the Gender in Agrifood Systems Policy (GASP) Program, a bold effort to foster a pan-African community of policy leaders committed to advancing equitable, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems. We hosted an Information Webinar to share more about the program funded by GIZ on behalf of BMZ.

We are excited to share that on March 3, 2025, we kicked off our first leadership training series of the year, ‘Women Leading in Times of Change Course.’ The course brought together a diverse group of 20 women in senior leadership positions across the globe to strengthen their strategic communication and leadership.  We encourage you to register for the courses to increase your skills and significantly impact your career and institution.

On March 8, AWARD partnered with CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion Accelerator, CIFOR-ICRAF, ILRI, and icipe to join the world in marking International Women’s Day with an event titled “Empowering women towards sustainable and equitable food systems.”

Additionally, we are pleased to announce that we have launched two new Calls: The Call for the 2025 Young Impact Associates (YIA) in Agrifood Systems Fellowship and the Call for the third Cohort of the Gender Responsive Agrifood Systems Policies (GRASP) Fellowship.

We continue to celebrate the AWARD Fellows who are redefining Africa’s research and agriculture narrative. Read about Dr. Evelyn Asante Yeboah, a 2011 AWARD Fellow and an environmentalist from Ghana who beat the odds to obtain her PhD.

Finally, as we gear up for CGIAR Science Week, we are pleased to share that we will host two side events on Thursday, April 10^th. The first side event, beginning at 1300hrs, will unpack the status of women in agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by an evening cocktail reception celebrating Women In & For Science. We look forward to seeing you at our side event.

Stay up-to-date with our latest news and opportunities by visiting our website and subscribing to our mailing list. Remember to follow us on our Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram pages for news updates and online discussions.