47 women plant breeders from 14 African countries are stepping into the lead on the crops farmers actually need

Women grow much of Africa's food, yet hold fewer than 15% of plant-breeding roles in West and Central Africa — so the crops bred do not always match what women farmers need. In Nairobi this week, AWARD — African Women in Agricultural Research and Development — launched its GROW Fellowship: 47 women plant breeders from 14 countries, supported over two years with leadership training and mentoring, in a Gates Foundation-funded programme run with universities and research institutes in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda. 'Understanding what women and men farmers need is essential,' says AWARD director Dr Susan Kaaria. Fellow Dr Jane Jerono Cheserek, a coffee researcher at KALRO, aims 'to become a leader who produces strong science — and helps deliver lasting benefits to coffee farmers.'

SDG 5 · Gender equality — Mechanism: institutional program