African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Nigeria to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uganda to the United Nations will convene a Side Event entitled “Accelerating gender equality and women’s empowerment in Agri-food Systems”, on the margins of the CSW67.

This Event will draw attention to the role gender-responsive agricultural policies can play in closing the gender gaps in agriculture, generating gains in innovation-driven development, increasing food security, and fostering economic growth.

Objectives

• Explore the importance of gender-responsive agriculture and food systems policies for achieving inclusive development and food systems
• Highlight priority policy areas for fostering gender-equitable and inclusive food systems transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Foster dialogue among various stakeholders to advance and strengthen gender responsiveness in the African ARD sector
• Galvanize concrete actions toward gender responsiveness in agri-food policies

Key questions

• What are some of the priority policy areas for fostering gender-equitable and inclusive food systems transformation?
• What are some of the models and successful policy processes that we can scale up?
• What are the tools and methods for designing policies to drive inclusive and equitable agricultural research and development on the continent?
• What are the opportunities for inter-sectoral collaborations to move the needle toward
• equitable policies?
• How can we achieve well-designed policies to close the gender gap in agricultural innovation systems?

Speakers

Jamille Bigio- Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, USAID

Farzana Ramzan- Senior Gender Advisor, inclusive development division, USAID

Jemimah Njuki- Chief Economic Empowerment- UN Women

H.E. Ambassador Gabriel Ferrero- Chairperson, the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS)Ambassador Njambi Kinyungu

Ambassador Njambi Kinyungu- Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Kenya

Mr. Fred Simwaka- Deputy Director of Gender Affairs in the Ministry of Gender, and a senior member of the Malawi delegation to CSW67

Mrs. Celia Kafureka Nabeta, Charge D’affaires a.i, Permanent Mission of Uganda

Susan Kaaria- Director, AWARD

Michèle Mboo-Tchouawou- Deputy Director, Programs, AWARD

Moderator

Dorine Odongo- Senior Communications Manager, AWARD