Knowledge for Development

International Women's Day 2011 | CGIAR Gender & Diversity Program and AWARD

Author: Vicki Wilde, Director, CGIAR Gender & Diversity Program and AWARD

Date: 08/03/2011

Introduction:

Eighth of March 2011 is International Women's Day.

The theme for this International Women’s Day is “Equal access to education, training, and science and technology: decent work for women.

AWARD, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development, is one of the successful initiative that supports women’s equality and advancement in the field of agricultural R.& D.

For the occasion, Vicky Wilde, Director, CGIAR Gender & Diversity Program and AWARD, writes:

"AWARD Fellows understand just how important the connection is between access to science and meaningful, profitable work for women. That is why they have dedicated their careers to conducting innovative research that is directly benefiting women and other smallholders."

Read below the full text of Vicky Wilde's announcement.


 

Dear partners and friends,

As we celebrate the centenary of International Women’s Day, I would like to express my gratitude for your support for women’s equality and advancement, and particularly for your outstanding commitment to the 180 African women agricultural scientists in AWARD. I would also like to celebrate our AWARD Fellows and Mentors and their tremendous dedication and commitment to change—both in their own lives and in Africa’s agricultural sector.

The theme for this International Women’s Day is “Equal access to education, training, and science and technology: decent work for women.” AWARD Fellows understand just how important the connection is between access to science and meaningful, profitable work for women. That is why they have dedicated their careers to conducting innovative research that is directly benefiting women and other smallholders.

You, our partners, have helped these pioneering women to make positive impacts across the continent. AWARD is generously supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Recently, additional investors including Agropolis Fondation and the U.S. Department of State have pledged new support to AWARD as well.

I would like to share with you AWARD’s first Results Report now posted on our website (www.awardfellowships.org/about-us/results-report-200809.html). It includes stories about our fellows and details many of AWARD’s accomplishments since we launched in 2008.

Every day we receive news about how AWARD Fellows are measurably benefiting from opportunities to strengthen their scientific and leadership skills. Fellows with advanced degrees have the opportunity to take part in research attachments at world-class institutions around the globe. More and more organizations are stepping forward to host AWARD researchers, including several CGIAR centers, private sector companies, such as Novus International and Dow Agrosciences, and academic institutions including Emory University and Stellenbosch University, to name only a few. To date, 23 AWARD Fellows have conducted research at 18 international institutions; 18 more women will be on attachment in 2011. (See the full list of host institutions at http://www.awardfellowships.org/the-award-fellowship/award-host-institutions.html). We are also grateful to the U.K.’s highly prestigious Society of Biology and Society of General Microbiology, which have generously sponsored memberships and science conferences for select AWARD Fellows.

Looking forward, I would like to share some exciting new developments.

Call for Applications for 2011 AWARD Fellowships: Following three rounds of AWARD Fellowships that were fully funded by BMGF with USAID, this fourth round is possible thanks to additional contributions from USAID and other investors. The deadline for applications is March 25, so please encourage qualified women whom you know to apply. In the last three rounds, we received a total of 1,681 applications for 180 available fellowships. Competition will be stiff again this year as our Steering Committee selects the new winners in June.

Expansion to Liberia: Through generous support from USAID, women agricultural researchers in Liberia will now be able to apply for AWARD Fellowships for the first time. We believe that the agricultural sector in Liberia can greatly benefit from the increased voice and presence of its women scientists. Please spread the word to qualified Liberian agricultural scientists whom you may know.

Francophone AWARD Development: We are often asked, “Why don’t you work in francophone Africa?” In response, AWARD has hired Dalberg Global Development Advisors to conduct a feasibility study about possible expansion to francophone African countries. The USAID-funded study will document the degree of need and interest across several countries, identify possible implementation partners, and test our cost estimates. Results will be available by June.

Partnership with Agropolis Fondation: We are extremely pleased to partner with Agropolis Fondation, based in Montpellier, France, regarding our expansion to francophone Africa. Agropolis is kindly hosting a strategy workshop in June to review the findings of the feasibility study for Francophone AWARD. Representatives from AWARD, BMGF, USAID, and other potential partners will attend. Agropolis is also hosting an AWARD Fellow on research attachment this year, with more planned for the future.

AWARD Entrepreneurs: AWARD’s unique approach to capacity building will now also be offered to African business women operating in the small agribusiness sector. Our scope will include agro-dealers, seed companies, traders and food processors. A small pilot project will be launched this year in partnership with IFDC and the Women in Agri-Business in Sub-Saharan Africa Alliance (WASAA) supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the EU-funded COMESA Regional Agro-Inputs Program (COMRAP) being implemented by the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA).

AWARD Trainers: One of our long-term goals is to build a cadre of African trainers who can multiply our capacity building efforts. With support from USAID and BMGF, during the past three years AWARD has developed a Training of Trainers Series for select African trainers. We now have a pool of 16 top-notch trainers from nine countries who deliver AWARD's courses on mentoring, science skills building, and leadership development. You can meet some of these leading professionals at http://www.awardfellowships.org/participants/award-trainers.html.

Theory of Change, and Monitoring and Evaluation Database: AWARD is a dynamic, adaptive program. Every decision we make is based on evidence and feedback, as much as possible. Consultations with AWARD Fellows, Mentors, and our team contributed to a cutting-edge theory of change describing why we do what we do, and setting out how we expect change to happen. From its inception, AWARD also built a rigorous monitoring and evaluation system to document, track, and learn about our work. We are now developing a comprehensive database that will provide a treasure of knowledge to guide our future development. With three rounds of fellows underway, AWARD now has sufficient data to test our theory of change and better understand the career needs and contexts of African women in agricultural research and development.

Designing AWARD II: With just over one year left to go in our first phase, we are already working with our partners to explore plans for AWARD’s second phase that could begin in 2012.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we are working diligently to make sure that African women agricultural researchers can contribute fully to education, training, and science and technology, and that they are equipped to lead and guide the next generation of agricultural scientists.

On behalf of the AWARD team, please accept our sincere gratitude for your support. We believe that feedback is among the most valuable gifts that one can give or receive, and we welcome your comments and suggestions.

With warmest regards,

Vicki Wilde, Director
CGIAR Gender & Diversity Program and AWARD

08/03/2011