Between 2008 and 2023, AWARD has facilitated the growth and development of 462 researchers and leaders from Ethiopia, with 195 being fellowship beneficiaries. Out of the fellowship beneficiaries, 16 Fellows were sponsored to partake in Advance Science Training (AST) research attachments. Additionally, AWARD has enhanced the skills of 267 trainees on leadership, science, mentoring, and gender, drawn from various institutions in Ethiopia, including but not limited to Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Addis Ababa University, and Mekelle University among others.
Our work in Ethiopia
- EIAR Mini Grant Research Projects: In August 2021, as part of enhancing the research capacity of the beneficiaries and ensuring the achievement of outcomes, AWARD initiated a small grant to support innovative mini-research projects as part of post-graduate or doctoral studies for the Fellows and Fellows’ Mentees. The mini-research program supported EIAR women scientists, who participated in the six-month mini-fellowship that took place in 2019. The program design was informed by data collected from the beneficiaries on their career growth, educational progress, and ongoing research activities. AWARD funded 27 mini- research projects. Read more about our institutional engagements.
- Research Attachments: The AWARD-EIAR Fellowship saw AWARD deepening its partnership with UK-based research institutions namely, Roslin Institute/ Centre for Tropical Livestock. Genetics and Health (CTLGH) and John Innes Centre (JIC). JIC sponsored one (1) AWARD-EIAR Fellow who attended the AfriPlantSci International Conference, April 03-16, 2019, at Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya. Roslin Institute/CTLGH at the University of Edinburg sponsored two (2) Fellows who participated in the Bioinformatics and Animal Breeding training (BBSRC-STARS Workshop), August 5-11, 2019, in Nairobi, Kenya. Two AWARD-EIAR Fellows were selected and completed a one-month research placement (animal science) supported by AWARD and Roslin institute/CTLGH.
- GRARD Training in Ethiopia with AGP2-CDSF: AWARD partnered with the Agricultural Growth Program II-Capacity Development Support Facility (AGP2-CDSF) to deliver four (4) training workshops targeting scientists/researchers from four (4) regions and five (5) research institutions in Ethiopia. A total of 119 scientists/researchers (30% female) were trained from mid to end March 2019. The training sessions organized in four sites for the five agricultural research institutes: Tigray Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI), Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Oromia Agricultural Research Institute (OARI) and Southern Agricultural Research Institute (SARI).
- Institutional Fellowship: In January 2019, AWARD and Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) collaborated on the implementation of a customized Fellowship program targeting 20 women agricultural scientists, 19 mentors, and 20 junior scientists at EIAR for an eight (8) month period under the Gender Responsive Agricultural Research and Development (GRARD) initiative. This Fellowship served as a proof of concept for increased investments in women agricultural scientists at EIAR and in various academia and research institutions across Ethiopia. This Institutional Fellowship was envisaged as a significant boost to AWARD's mission to create a vibrant network of institutional actors committed to gender responsiveness in the agricultural sector.
- EIAR Gender Strategy Revision: In 2019, EIAR identified three intervention focus areas for collaboration with AWARD under GRARD. These include: i) revising the EIAR existing gender strategy to include internal and external GRARD processes, ii) designing an Institutional Fellowship to increase the pipeline of women researchers and leaders at EIAR and iii) organizing and delivering tailored training courses on gender responsive agricultural research for selected male and female researchers in the different Ethiopian regions.
- Leadership Training: In October 2018, AWARD in collaboration with Mekelle University (MU) organized a three-day training on Assertiveness and Leadership for female academics. A total of 30 women, mainly lecturers from various departments and faculties at Mekelle University attended the training course which focused on promoting assertiveness and confidence building among the academic community at MU, an area identified as a major challenge for MU’s transformation process. Read more about our Leadership Training.
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It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English.
Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English.
In a free hour, when our power of choice is untrammelled and when nothing prevents our being able to do what we like best, every pleasure is to be welcomed and every pain avoided. But in certain circumstances and owing to the claims of duty or the obligations of business it will frequently occur that pleasures have to be repudiated and annoyances accepted. The wise man therefore always holds in these matters to this principle of selection: he rejects pleasures to secure other greater pleasures, or else he endures pains to avoid worse pains."
On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble that are bound to ensue; and equal blame belongs to those who fail in their duty through weakness of will, which is the same as saying through shrinking from toil and pain. These cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish.
Ethiopia Country Chapter
About
Gender inclusiveness is well reflected in the various components of the GTP II including the agricultural transformation component. Greater attention is paid to women farmers in having equal access to resources and agricultural inputs, which has become a milestone in empowerment of women farmers in Ethiopia. The need for women in agricultural research, development and innovation is equally important to ensure better and faster progress in agricultural transformation. In addition to the available gender policy, action is needed to bring women in agricultural research and development so that they would serve as a means for boosting food production.
Thus, EWARD is established to foster knowledge transfer, networking and professional development in Agriculture. The group also targeting the country policy involving women in the agriculture professionalism of the nine regional governments of Ethiopia. EWARD is an Alumni group that foster the network and information sharing of women agricultural scientists across the nine regional states of Ethiopia to accelerate agricultural productivity, quality of life through tailored fellowships. EWARD will fill the gap by encouraging the innovation of women scientist, educators, researchers and policy makers which will contribute to the prosperity and well-being of Ethiopian farmers.
Mission
Promoting engagement among AWARD Fellows, mentors and mentees in nine regional states of Ethiopian communities focusing on developing appropriate and sustainable technology and developmental strategy in Agriculture development to increase food security
Promoting professionalism through scientific training by engaging researcher, educators, extension workers, and women farmers which will accelerate agricultural productivity, improve quality of livelihood through income generation and competitive value chains
Promoting gender equality by increasing the role of women farmers in agricultural production, extension worker, educator, researcher and policy maker
Promoting partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopian Institute Agriculture Research, Agricultural Transformation Agency to facilitate the promotion and achievement of their vision in poverty reduction and food security of the country;
Objectives
To give a voice to women in agricultural research and development by:
- Facilitating networking platforms with other researchers and media organizations through workshops, internships and trainings
- Providing channels for EWARD fellows to actively participate in policy development in the agricultural, water ecological and other related areas
- Developing statements on agricultural issues of national importance
To encourage the development of novel approaches to problems of agricultural significance by:
- Fostering interdisciplinary collaborations between women scientists
- Holding topical workshops
- Encouraging Government, research foundations and other philanthropic organizations to channel resources into identified projects
To promote agricultural disciplines as careers of choice for young people by:
- Recognizing women scientists as role models
- Promoting mentorships with recognized senior scientists
- Developing partnership with the major Agriculture related institutions and organization, academic institutions and non-governmental organization from Ethiopia.
- Any other goals that concern women in agricultural, developmental and interdisciplinary areas, which the General Assembly decides to promote
Goals
To promote gender inclusiveness and professional development within the agricultural sector of Ethiopia. EWARD aims to empower women farmers, researchers, educators, and policy makers by providing them with opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing, and skill development. By encouraging active participation and collaboration among women in agriculture, EWARD seeks to enhance agricultural productivity, food security, and the overall quality of livelihoods in Ethiopia.
ETHIOPIA Country Chapters
EWARD was established to foster knowledge transfer, networking and professional development in Agriculture. The group is targeting the country policy involving women in the agriculture professionalism of the nine regional governments of Ethiopia. The need for women in agricultural research, development and innovation is equally important to ensure better and faster progress in agricultural transformation. In addition to the available gender policy, action is needed to bring women in agricultural research and development so that they would serve as a means for boosting food production. EWARD aims to fill the gap by encouraging the innovation of women scientist, educators, researchers and policy makers which will contribute to the prosperity and well-being of Ethiopian farmers.