This initiative is delivered using the following approaches:
- Gender Responsive Agricultural Research
- Institution Specific Interventions
- AWARD Country Chapters
Evidence from the case studies presented in this report illustrates how effective the AWARD Fellowship is. The fellows have experienced tremendous career growth, have played critical roles in enhancing the capacities of the institutions in which they work, and have greatly influenced decisions affecting agricultural research at the national, regional and international levels.
Despite the impressive achievements of the AWARD Fellowship, recent data from ASTI indicates that the gender gap in African agricultural research is still substantial, although the number of female researchers in SSA grew from 2008 to 2014. A newly published study declares that it may take up to 320 years before an equal number of men and women scientists are working in senior roles.
That is why there is still room for more to be done, for sustainable transformative solutions to be realized.
AWARD appreciates that transformation is not achieved solely by increased numbers, but by understanding the needs, priorities and realities of the targeted end users.
AWARD recognizes that the effectiveness of these AWARD Fellows will continue to be compromised if the structures and institutions within which they operate remain unchanged and unresponsive to the needs of women scientists. African institutions struggle with recognizing, accommodating and creating continual growth opportunities for women scientists. (AWARD Strategy 2017 - 2022) This limits the potential of fellows and the ability of the institutions they work in to engage fully with the agricultural transformation agenda. It points to the need to encourage agricultural research institutions to provide gender-equitable environments that offer professional and leadership opportunities to both men and women.
“Gender responsiveness offers a powerful tool through which agricultural researchers can be intentional in addressing the constraints of African farmers at the margins, especially women and youth,” Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of FARA in a keynote address during the 2017 launch of GRARD.
AWARD defines GRARD as research that addresses the distinct needs and priorities of a diversity of both men and women along the entire agricultural value chain. GRARD allows a focus on innovation that addresses the constraints of those African farmers left beyond the fringes of research initiatives. It offers the potential to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural research and development by increasing the scale, scope and sustainability of impacts.
GRARD also supports research institutions to build and effectively leverage the talents of more diverse and inclusive teams. It draws on the experience and lessons from the fellowship program to support institutions to recruit, retain, develop, successfully manage and use the talents of these teams. A baseline study established the parameters, tools and processes used to rollout GRARD along with the pool of experts that support research institutions in their journey.
Following the 2017 launch of GRARD, stakeholders from across the continent convened to identify priorities for action for GRARD and commit to implementation.
The first step toward GRARD implementation involves joint action between AWARD and the identified institutions to implement an agreed set of interventions.
GRARD supports agricultural research institutions to:leverage talents of diverse research teams;
- grow their ability to conduct research that is more inclusive, better targeted and better designed to respond to the needs and priorities of a diversity of men and women across agricultural value chains; and strengthen prioritization of gender and diversity at the workplace and in the overall research process; from design, implementation to dissemination.
For this to happen, it is important to work closely together to build opportunities and manage emerging challenges. The selection of agricultural research institutions to partner with is based on their appetite for and willingness to implement the GRARD initiative as part of their priority focus areas.
The joint institutional collaborations are geared to:
- encourage diverse and multicultural workplace;
- promote balanced diversity in leadership;
- develop and strengthen the capacity of staff members and other key stakeholders in the agricultural and related sectors; promote synergy and diversity in research as well as evidence-based policy making; and
- encourage open dialogue and transparent communication on gender responsiveness and institutional transformation.
Institution-specific Interventions
Through GRARD, AWARD designs specific interventions to the institutions, tailored to the needs, language and social/cultural fit. Below are some examples.
Since GRARD’s inception in 2017, AWARD has established partnership agreements with eight African institutions:
- CSIR, Ghana;
- Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR);
- Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB) Nigeria;
- LUANAR, Malawi;
- Mekelle University, Ethiopia;
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Tanzania;
- Pwani University Kenya; and
- Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI).
GRARD Training for Partner Institutions
GRARD has provided customized training courses for 375 researchers from the eight institutions. The GRARD approach holds great transformative potential for strengthening agricultural research in support of Africa’s sustained and inclusive economic growth.
AWARD country chapters bring together AWARD alumnae, mentors and other individuals interested in driving the agenda for gender-responsive agricultural research and development. Country chapters set their own priorities and agendas, and are integral to deepening and embedding GRARD. They catalyze networks for advocacy, knowledge sharing and intra-country collaboration and amplify the impact of AWARD’s work, taking it into local communities and institutions where fellows live and work.
AWARD country chapters are taking the call for gender responsiveness to the ground in their respective countries. Although most are still setting up their institutional structures, they have made their presence felt in various ways.
Zambian Women in Agricultural Research and Development (ZaWARD) has an agreement with Waterfalls Development Company that has provided them with 50 hectares of land on which to carry out agricultural projects that benefit women. ZaWARD has also taken on role-modeling in schools across the capital of Lusaka, encouraging young people to see careers in agriculture as a valuable venture. The ZaWARD secretariat is housed by the Indaba Agricultural Research Institute and they have also partnered with Zambian agriculture research institutes and the University of Zambia as well as development partners.
In neighboring Malawi, the Malawian Women in Agricultural Research and Development, MwAWARD has also taken up role-modeling sessions for secondary schools and started a “buy a science book” project with donations distributed during the role-modeling events. Currently hosted by LUANAR, MwAWARD will be training scientists and graduate students in leadership and gender-responsive agricultural research. In this way, the lessons they learn through the AWARD Fellowship will be expanded and entrenched at home.
To date, AWARD has facilitated the establishment of 10 country chapters.