The African Women in Agriculture Research and Development (AWARD) has launched a five-year strategy to empower women to occupy leadership positions in Tanzania’s agricultural research institutions.

Development Diaries reports that the strategy was launched during the 2023 Africa Food Systems Forum in Dar es Salaam.

Women and youths are among the most marginalised and underutilised populations in Tanzania.

Although the government of Tanzania has adopted policies that advance gender equality and youth inclusion, sector-specific policies of government ministries and independent departments have yet to align with the policies.

According to AWARD Director, Susan Kaaria, the strategy will enable AWARD to partner with institutions that have demonstrated commitment to gender equality to influence their policies and practices to address gender issues.

‘We will have policies that are more gender-sensitive, institutions themselves will have policies that are gender sensitive’, she said.

‘In Tanzania, we have a country chapter, and also we have our alumni, we will make sure that we work closely with them so that they can effectively implement the strategy’.

Kaaria also said that the strategy is expected to increase evidence on the cost of the gender gap in the agrifood systems, underscoring the case for promoting gender equality at all levels of the wider agrifood system.

Photo source: Ignite