Skip to main content

Tag: women in science

How Atubandike dialogues are redefining gender and youth inclusion in Zambian agriculture

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in Blogs.

Women and youth are essential drivers of agricultural and economic resilience in Zambia’s rural farming communities. However, they frequently encounter significant barriers such as restrictive social norms and inadequate access to vital resources which hinder their ability to participate fully in the economy.

Female youth sharing her views (Photo: Moono Seleketi).

Recognizing the critical roles of women and youth in shaping the present and future of Zambian agriculture, the ‘Atubandike’ approach, under CIMMYT’s USAID-funded Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) Rapid Delivery Hub project, has been actively engaging with communities to address systemic barriers faced by these groups. This initiative combines digital tools with face-to-face interactions, creating spaces where community members can share their stories, challenges, and questions to co-create solutions.

Atubandike, which means ‘let’s have a conversation’ in the local Tongo language, was launched in Zambia in 2023 as an advisory service. The model represents a scalable, community-led approach that empowers marginalized groups, including women and youth, as active contributors and leaders in agriculture. With each interaction building upon the previous one, this ongoing work advances the broader mission of fostering inclusivity and resilience across Zambia’s agricultural sector.

To uncover and tackle the structural barriers faced by women and youth, the Atubandike team recently engaged over 1,700 farmers across 14 communities in Southern Zambia, gaining critical insights into the biases that persist in rural areas.

Stereotypes and structural barriers

The community conversations highlighted generational divides and deeply rooted stereotypes that cast youth as disengaged or disinterested in farming. Older community members opined that young people are more drawn to urban lifestyles and reluctant to take on the demanding labor associated with agriculture. One elderly farmer said: “Many youths prefer a comfortable lifestyle and quick money. They don’t have the patience for the hard work farming requires.”

In contrast, younger participants shared that this perception overlooks the genuine obstacles they face such as limited access to land, financing, training, and mentorship opportunities. They emphasized that their lack of involvement often stems from these barriers rather than a lack of motivation.

Young male farmer speaking (Photo: Moono Seleketi).

The consultations also underscored pervasive gender norms that limit women’s roles in agriculture. Despite their significant contributions to household food security, female farmers are often relegated to secondary roles, focusing on ‘women’s crops such as groundnuts, while men cultivate staple crops such as maize and cash crops such as soybean. A participant shared, “The community always perceives men as the real farmers because they are considered the heads of the household.” This perception frequently limits women’s access to critical resources and their decision-making power within the agricultural sphere.

However, through Atubandike’s sessions, communities are beginning to confront these entrenched norms, shedding light on the vital contributions of women and youth in agriculture. This shift is laying the groundwork for a more equitable approach, where both men and women, young and old, are recognized as essential to farming success and household resilience. As these conversations grow, Atubandike is paving the way for solutions that promise meaningful and lasting change for both women and youth in agriculture.

Community-driven solutions

  • Building youth capacity through skills and leadership: Many community members expressed a strong desire to see more youth involved in agricultural activities, emphasizing the importance of hands-on training. “We need to get the youth involved in actual farming [tasks] such as irrigation and crop management. It keeps them busy and teaches them valuable skills,” shared one local leader.

To support this vision, Atubandike is training young community members as digital champions, equipping them with both technical expertise and leadership skills that allow them to mentor their peers and encourage youth participation in agriculture. These digital champions not only extend the reach of Atubandike’s initiatives but also serve as relatable role models, inspiring other young people to engage in agriculture as well as see it as a viable and rewarding path.

  •  Towards a more inclusive future for Zambian agriculture
    The Atubandike initiative – by fostering open community dialogue, empowering digital champions, and promoting household-level collaboration – lays the foundation for a more inclusive future for Zambian agriculture. As each community engagement builds momentum, CIMMYT, through the AID-I project, creates a cycle of empowerment and growth that ensures women and youth are not only heard but also empowered to lead.
Women celebrating at community meeting (Photo: Moono Seleketi).

Amidst the challenges of erratic weather patterns and economic constraints, building resilience through cross-generational and gender-inclusive collaboration is crucial. Atubandike is addressing these geographic and social challenges and paving the way for a future where every farmer, regardless of age or gender, plays a pivotal role in Zambia’s agricultural success.

Bridging gender gaps by nurturing women scientists

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in In the media.

Lourine Bii, 33, is a pioneer as the first female technician at the Kiboko Plant Breeding Station. Moving from KALRO to CIMMYT, she is independently managing trials and breaking gender barriers in agricultural research. Her journey illustrates the importance of inclusivity and empowerment in shaping the future of agriculture.

Read the full story.

Breaking ground and redefining roles in the agri engineering sector: Anjuara Begum

Written by Nur-A-Mahajabin Khan on . Posted in Features.

Anjuara Begum is 40 years old. Hailing from Jashore, Bangladesh, she works at Abdur Rahman Foundry as a grinding operator. In Bangladesh, it is rare to be a woman and work in a skilled job in engineering. Anjuara’s journey shows it is possible to break through gender stereotypes ascribed by Bangladeshi society.

Growing up in Jashore, Anjuara was married before the age of 15. About a year after giving birth to a son, her husband died leaving her to take on the sole responsibility of raising a child. She started working as a cleaner at Talukder Light Casting. Soon, she found her interest lay in sand molding and grinding which were considered to be skilled tasks traditionally carried out by the male employees. Over time, Anjuara graduated to working as an assistant in different sections of the foundry: casting, the furnace, and operating the grinding machine. For six years, she continued as an assistant with no formal training, often learning from the machine operators and supervisors around her.

Anjuara Begum operates a grinding machine at the foundry in Jashore, Bangladesh. (Photo: Asmaul Husna/CIMMYT)

In 2019, Anjuara joined the nearby Abdur Rahman Foundry, where for the first time she attended a formal skill enhancement training for women in the light engineering sector. She was able to access this opportunity through the USAID-funded Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia–Mechanization Extension Activity (CSISA–MEA) as Abdur Rahman Foundry is part of CSISA–MEA’s agriculture-based light engineering activity. The training provided her with hands-on experience in grinding, drilling, sand molding, and painting. It not only imparted the technical skills she needed for her current job, but also the confidence to excel in a field where women are traditionally under-represented.

“The training was an eye-opener,” Anjuara said. “I was so happy to get a certificate–a first for me!” She shared how her confidence at work increased and about her promotion to the position of grinding machine operator–the first woman in the Jashore region to work in this role. There were other benefits to the new position–a more formal position than her former place of work where she was only a temporary employee; paid holiday and sick leave; and festival bonuses. Currently, she earns around US$ 80 a month–the same as the men in the foundry working at a similar skill level. Before the training, her salary was around US$ 55.

Anjuara tells us that the best part about the job is the respect she gets from family and the cooperation from her co-workers. As she continued to break barriers and excel in her profession, her success began to resonate within her community. Women in the neighborhood now view her as an inspiration. She is an example of how societal norms can be challenged when provided with equal opportunities and the right kind of support. Her success has ignited a spark of hope among women who had long been relegated to the sidelines.

CSISA–MEA’s light engineering training for the female workforce as part of its gender inclusive activities has not only transformed Anjuara’s life but has also catalyzed a shift in the perception of women’s capabilities within Bangladeshi society.

Empowering communities through sustainable agriculture

Written by mcallejas on . Posted in Blogs.

Miriam Torres conducts field activities in eastern Honduras. (Photo: Mirian Torres)

In the eastern region of Honduras, Mirian Lizeth Torres, an agroindustrial engineer who graduated from the National Autonomous University of Honduras, is making a difference. Her commitment to agricultural sustainability and the empowerment of local communities through sustainable agriculture is evident in her work with the Eastern Regional Farmers Association (ARSAGRO, for its acronym in Spanish) and with her participation in the InnovaHub Oriente, set within the framework of the AgriLAC Resiliente initiative.

“In 2023, I volunteered at ARSAGRO, addressing crucial issues with producers, from events and extension to projects with CIAT that focused on the assessment of plots, water, soil, forest, pests and diseases, bean nutrition, grain quality, among others,” said Mirian, highlighting the breadth of her experience.

Her participation in the InnovaHub Oriente has been key to integrating theory and practice in the field. “I am a student of the conservation agriculture course, where I have explored agronomic practices that improve the sustainability of crops, creating more resilient systems,” she highlights. “These practices are shared with producers through innovation modules, which are plots where conservation agriculture innovations are implemented and compared, side by side, with conventional methods.”

Mirian knows the importance of communicating this knowledge to communities. “At events held on these plots, we shared practices and knowledge, reaching producers who were not familiar with these technologies,” she explains. “Thanks to AgriLAC, in 2023 we contributed significantly to the empowerment of producers and organized groups in eastern Honduras.”

Additionally, Mirian is proud of her role as an inspiration for the inclusion of youth and women in agriculture. “At every event we organize, we see increasing participation of young people and women,” she states. “The empowerment of women in agricultural activities has been notable, with many resuming activities in the field through the transfer of knowledge.”

Looking to the future, Mirian hopes to further encourage youth participation. “My invitation to young people is not to abandon the field; it is that they get involved in agricultural issues to contribute to the livelihood of their families and, at the same time, reduce migration,” she states with determination.

In a world where sustainable agriculture is essential, Mirian Lizeth Torres has assumed solid leadership from the field, helping her community move towards a more sustainable and equitable agricultural future.

Looking to the future, Mirian hopes to further encourage youth participation. “My invitation to young people is not to abandon the field, but rather that they get involved in agricultural issues to contribute to the livelihood of their families and, at the same time, reduce migration,” she states with determination.

STEM the gap: Scientists reflect on women’s increasing participation and visibility in STEM careers

Written by Nima Chodon on . Posted in Features, Videos.

CIMMYT’s women in science are shaping the future of agriculture. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Much has changed since many CIMMYT scientists attended university. In the past decades, the STEM field was predominantly male, with far less representation from marginalized groups and communities. Challenged by societal prejudices, only a handful of young women pursued STEM subjects, which further influenced career choices made by them, reinforcing the gender gap.

The gender gap in STEM is still significant, but times are changing. “At CIMMYT, we are deeply committed to promoting the voice of youth, marginalized communities, and women to improve the rigor of science for sustainable development. This includes investment in mentorship, learning from champions and pioneers, and appropriate performance assessment guidelines,” said Program Director of CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems, Sieglinde Snapp. “It is a long journey with bumps along the way, but I am proud to be in solidarity with the Global South, where we champion gender and social inclusion every day.”

On International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2024, five CIMMYT scientists who inspire, support, and open doors for many young women and underrepresented groups with their scientific work and pay-it-forward commitment share their motivation behind charting a career in STEM and encourage more young women and make the field more inclusive.

Beyhan Akin, winter wheat breeding lead 

Beyhan Akin stands with wheat plants. (Photo: Beyhan Akin)

Hailing from a farming family, Beyhan Akin was always surrounded by the beauty and potential of agriculture. She wished to contribute to her farming community, so 35 years ago, she joined CIMMYT’s wheat research program. Akin reminisced about her early days, how there were few women scientists, and the realization that if she succeeded, she could motivate more to follow in her footsteps.

“Agriculture science is expanding beyond core crop science with huge potential for interdisciplinary research and innovation. I hope young women students and scientists get the opportunity to pursue and excel in these fields. Increased advocacy and investment—grants, fellowships—at an institutional level is crucial to motivating and supporting the aspirations of women in science,” said Akin. “It might have taken a long time for women scientists like us to be in positions of influence, but I hope we can ensure the path is far less challenging today for these young women pursuing agriculture science/STEM.”

Alison Laing, agroecology specialist

Alison Laing stands with women farmers. (Photo: Alison Laing)

“Search out mentors. Don’t be afraid to either ask for help when you need it or to promote your achievements. And build networks,” advises Alison Laing to young women scientists starting in the field. Based in Bangladesh and working across South and Southeast Asia for over 15 years, Laing hopes that girls have opportunities to choose science education and become women with rewarding careers in fields that interest them, especially in non-traditional STEM disciplines.

Laing remembers how her mentor early in her career, the late John Schiller, a rice agronomist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), encouraged her enthusiasm for learning and research. “He taught me so much about doing research in Southeast Asia, and I am indebted to him for his motivation and support in showing me how rewarding and interesting a scientific career can be.” She hopes other young students and scientists will have such mentors in their lives.

Sabina Tiwari, assistant research associate 

Sabina Tiwari speaks at a NSAF planning meeting. (Photo: Sabina Tiwari)

Fascinated by nature, plants, and how they thrive in diverse environments, Sabina Tiwari’s journey in science led her to become a plant breeder. “The indefinite potential of agriculture to improve lives made me realize how powerful agricultural science can be. This led to the motivation that I could create a positive difference in the world by being part of crop science and technology while working alongside great scientific minds, both men and women. Today, to young girls aspiring to make a difference in the world, I recommend they empower their cause through science and innovations.”

According to Tiwari, mentorship programs, internships, and job-shadowing experiences that helped her career must be extended to young women to gain practical exposure and knowledge of the possibilities in agriculture science.

Mazvita Chiduwa, associate scientist  

Mazvita Chiduwa speaks with a farmer. (Photo: Mazvita Chiduwa)

For Mazvita Chiduwa, a career in agriculture science has been rewarding. “I love the adventure involved in discovery in agriculture. I am inquisitive, and this career allows me to ask questions and seek answers,” said Mazvita.

Chiduwa believes society needs to embrace the participation of women and girls in STEM education and careers and that stereotypes about women not being cut out for STEM, prevalent even today, must be done away with.

To young girls and women aspiring for a career in STEM, Chiduwa says, “Go for it. There is a need for your uniqueness to contribute a wholesome solution to our world’s challenges.”

Luisa Cabrera Soto, research associate  

Luisa Cabrera conducts an analysis at a CIMMYT laboratory. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“A feminine perspective and approach are needed to enrich research,” reminds Luisa Cabrera Soto. “In a society where almost half of the members are female, I hope equity and inclusion will help improve under-representation in STEM.”

According to Cabrera, it is essential that women in science continue to challenge the gender prejudices and stereotypes that still exist. “Don’t let the spark of your curiosity go out. As a food science professional, I can say that there are still discoveries to be made and, through it, the probability of finding innovative solutions to global challenges such as food security.”

I cannot do it alone

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

On October 4, 2023, CIMMYT continued its online seminar series — Catalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science. The event featured a talk by Esther Ngumbi, an entomologist and academic at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

A riverside farm

Born into a small, rural community on the Kenyan coast, Esther Ngumbi grew up farming alongside her family. “I enjoyed the process of growing crops because I knew at the end of the season, we would have extra food for ourselves,” she explained. By the age of seven she decided she wanted to go it alone, and her father provided a small strip of land by the river, where she took to growing vegetables.

“Every morning I would sit there and just enjoy looking at this thriving cabbage patch I had,” she says. “And then one day the rains came. It rained for three days, the field flooded, and by the time the water receded I had lost my cabbages. The joy that had built was gone.”

“But this heartbreak continued,” she added. “Halfway through the season I would watch all our hard work go to waste.” Along came insects, drought, or flooding—all the stresses associated with climate change—and for her family it would mean no food. Ngumbi soon realized that this was not limited to her family’s farm: her neighbors, community, county, and country were all impacted by these challenges, leading to widespread food insecurity.

Feeding curiosity

“As a girl I was very curious,” said Ngumbi. “How do these insect pests find our crops? And when they find them, why aren’t our crops resilient enough to overcome these stresses? Little did I know that this curiosity would lead me into what my career is today: an entomologist.”

“But growing up in a rural village there were no role models; there were no scientists. There were no people I could look up to and be inspired to know that you could make a career out of entomology or that you could be a woman in science.”

Despite initially considering a career in accountancy, Ngumbi ended up studying for a BSc in biochemistry and zoology at Kenyatta University, where she immediately fell in love with practical research. “Stepping into the lab was such an exciting day for me,” she recalled. “I had so many questions, and I remember not wanting to leave because I wanted to answer all the questions I had grown up with.”

Later, extra-curricular experience at a local research center would feed her interest in entomology. The scientists she ended up working with ran a biological control program to assess how maize is impacted by lepidoptera pests, and the natural biological control agents that could be used to combat these. “How do plants communicate and call for help? Through releasing a chemical. I discovered that there is a wave of communication happening between our food crops and the community of organisms that associate with plants.”

Eager to learn more, Ngumbi went on to pursue an MSc before joining a Ph.D. program at Auburn University in Alabama, USA. “My parents had always told me that education is the gateway out of poverty, and they consistently encouraged me to go to the highest level. I knew I had to go to the top.”

At Auburn she had the opportunity to delve deeper into how plants defend themselves, and her successful research into beneficial soil microbes led to at least three U.S. patents. Following a few post-doctoral positions, she landed a role at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she currently works as an assistant professor in the Departments of Entomology and African American Studies.

Bringing others along

Ngumbi credits mentorship with getting her to where she is today. “At Kenyatta University my teachers saw a spark in me; I was curious and wanted to find answers. Mentors introduced me to scientists the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), so I could carry out experiments beyond what we were doing as part of my course.”

She recalled walking across the stage during her Ph.D. graduation ceremony, a key moment of reflection. “It was real that there were very few women like me in science. That I was only one of the many women I had grown up with that was privileged to have a PhD. And I wanted not to be the only person,” she said. “I wanted to make sure that I would leave open the same door I had walked through. That I would do my best to bring other women along.”

“I would step up to be a mentor. Step up to encourage other women. Step up to encourage other children from rural communities to say: you can do it, you can dream, you can follow your passions, you can be a scientist.”

With this in mind, Ngumbi ensures she collaborates with others in all areas of her research, incorporating young researchers into her labs and working directly with farmers. “I’m committed to ensuring that farmers who work so hard — especially smallholders — can grow crops and see all their hard work pay off.”

“I will continue to follow this journey of finding solutions to feed our growing planet, but I know that I cannot do it alone. We need all of us,” she added. “We still have very few women scientists — UNESCO estimates around 30% — and I hope that by the time I’m done with my career that number changes. But it’s going to depend on all of us.”

Ngumbi’s talk was followed by a Question and Answer led by Olivia Odiyo, a CIMMYT research associate based in Nairobi. The full discussion can be viewed online here. Spanish and French-language audio is also available.

Say yes, and figure out what gives you energy

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

CIMMYT hosted the 6th instalment of its online seminar series — Catalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science — featuring Diane Holdorf, executive vice president and a member of the Senior Management Team at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

Drawing on varied experiences from a diverse career in sustainability, Holdorf used her talk to emphasize the importance of saying ‘yes’ in the face of big changes, identifying what energizes you, being present at home and at work, and supporting others to succeed with their objectives.

Translating science

As the daughter of a geologist, Holdorf spent much of her childhood outside looking at rocks, an experience she credits with giving her an affinity for nature. “I found it was a way that really connected me and grounded me in my surroundings. What are we looking at? What are we looking for? What’s in the patterns and shapes of what we see?”

Holdorf talks about her childhood. (Photo: CIMMYT)

After deciding that she didn’t want to go into science, Holdorf opted to study public communications at university and was promptly recruited by an advertising agency upon graduating. “It was the first time that something big came up where I just said: ‘Yes. Yes, I’ll try it. Why not?’ And that theme of saying yes in the face of these big changes is one that’s proven to be incredibly helpful.”

However, having moved halfway across the country for the job, Holdorf quickly found that she disliked the role. “It was a really important lesson in learning what I didn’t value and what I didn’t want to do,” she said. “That came really early in my career, the idea that I needed to be way clearer in my convictions. What matters to me? What do I want to be working in? And that led me to go into environmental consulting.”

“Maybe not an obvious path, but my dad had been an environmental consultant,” she explained. “So, in some ways I’d fallen back into something that was a bit familiar, but that I could make my own.”

In this new role, Holdorf found she could put her communications skills to use in a way she found energizing, translating scientific and technical solutions into words that clients could understand or that project managers could frame and create workplans around. “Without realizing it, it grew into this role of being the translator between ‘what does the science and engineering tell us’ and ‘what are the business solutions that we need to use that information to solve for.’”

“I’ve learned that what really drives me and what gives me the most energy is working together with people to create the biggest impact and change we possibly can,” she explained. “What motivates me the most is trying to drive action on these extremely urgent challenges of climate, nature, equity, and in our food systems.”

Helping others succeed

“Leading with clear objectives and clear boundaries is really important,” said Holdorf. “And I don’t mean that in a rigid way. I mean knowing what I can accept when engaging with others, and what I will not go past. What areas of acceptance are needed for my integrity in a role.”

She noted that one of the things that has been particularly useful throughout her career — especially during the first 15 years, when she was often the only woman in the room — are the male colleagues who stood up for her, coached her and provided feedback on her work.

Pauline Muindi and Diane Holdorf engage in a conversation on women in leadership. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“And I listened hard,” she explained. “I asked for that feedback and really worked to incorporate it because I could tell that what they were telling me was meant to help make my role easier. That was a hugely valuable lesson because it taught me that if it was that important for me, it meant that I could in fact play that same role for others.”

As a result, she now encourages not only learning how to seek out mentorship, but also reflecting at every stage of a career, identifying opportunities to mentor others, and creating a stream of development and gift-giving.

“How do we ensure that our work helps others to succeed?” she asked. “Because often when we’re working in these spaces, we can only achieve our objectives by leading with and influencing others. It’s not very often that we have full control. But learning how our work can help others deliver on the goals that they’ve been tasked with actually creates totally different types of breakthroughs.”

Holdorf’s presentation was followed by a Q&A session led by Pauline Muindi, research support specialist at CIMMYT.

Show that you can thrive and excel in all environments

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

On August 29, CIMMYT held the latest installment of its seminar series on women’s leadership—Catalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science. The online event featured a presentation from Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, an animal scientist by training, who has previously worked as policy advisor for numerous African governments and global institutions and currently serves as chair of the CGIAR System Board.

In her opening talk, Sibanda outlined the many and varied roles she has held throughout her career, including professor, farmer, and business owner. Discussing her early education in a segregated colonial Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), her time as an undergraduate student in Egypt, or the challenge of starting a family alongside developing her career, Sibanda was keen to highlight the lessons learned at each stage of life and emphasized the importance of creating cross-cultural friendships, nurturing professional networks, establishing priorities, and promoting continuous learning.

A learning spirit

Sibanda has over 15 years of experience working as a governor at national, regional, and international levels, but it took some time to initially build her confidence in the role. She recalled feeling daunted during her very first meetings because she had not been trained, but her learning spirit helped carry her through. “I always looked around the room and chose my mentors—based on something I liked about their values—something I liked about the way they asked questions, or something I liked about their demeanor and how they engaged with others—and I started learning.”

This approach has garnered her a large circle of mentors—and friends—and having served on more than 12 different boards she now feels this is a space that she enjoys, particularly as there are still opportunities for learning. “I think it’s the spirit of continuous thirst for knowledge, for new information, that has kept me going.”

“And it’s all about integrity,” she added. “What people see in me is what they get. I’ve never had to be fake. What I know, I make sure I know very well. What I don’t know, I’m not shy to say I don’t know.”

Convince each other that it can be done

Having unpacked her life as a scholar, mother, working professional, and governor, Sibanda explained that her current focus is on giving back. For her, supporting the next generation of women in the workplace is a key part of leadership. She cited Graça Machel and Mama Mary Robinson as inspirations, both for their work ethic and their ability to connect with people at different levels. “But most importantly, they give it to other women,” she said. “They love mentoring girls and other women.”

In her own experience, some of the major obstacles she faces as a woman, a farmer, and an African are the specific biases associated with each of those three things. “Women need to be helped, they are disadvantaged; farmers are poor, especially if they come from Africa; and mothers need to spend more time at home and not be globetrotting to meetings.” To counter these biases, she explained, it is important to show that you can thrive and excel in all environments. “It’s not about either or, it’s about showing we can do it, regardless of the circumstances.”

“Women are natural agents of change, and all they need is a conducive environment. As women, we should be spending more time with other women, making sure we share our stories, our successes, and our struggles. The whole idea is to convince each other that it can be done.”

Sibanda’s presentation was followed by a Q&A session led by Ana Luisa Garcia Rivera, senior regional genotyping coordinator at CIMMYT. Watch the recorded session below.

Women leaders in science: reaching out to break through

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in News.

On August 15, 2023, CIMMYT organized the third series of the Catalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science virtual seminar for a conversation on advancing women’s leadership in science, showcasing a wealth of power-packed insights and success stories.

Featuring Catherine Bertini, an accomplished leader in international organization reform and a powerful advocate for women and girls, the TED talk meets fireside chat style seminar began with a pre-recorded message from Catherine highlighting how women as catalysts of change can play an essential role in breaking through gender barriers in leadership roles. “Each of us must define for ourselves what’s important to us. We should assume opportunities to lead and to improve. We need to reach out, look forward and say, I’m going to make a difference. We can all be a catalyst for change,” stated Catherine, the 2003 World Food Prize laureate.

CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts highlighted the importance of recognizing the immeasurable contributions of women leaders in science. “We want more women leaders in organizations like CIMMYT. Through the recently launched CIMMYT 2030 Strategy, we are taking one step further in ensuring that gender equality isn’t just a concept but a reality, he reiterated. “The CIMMYT 2030 Strategy leverages a systems approach to overcome barriers to achieving gender equity by providing more opportunities to hear and learn from current women leaders in all capacities,” explained Govaerts.

“Girls can do anything,” Catherine set the scene for her presentation, showcasing personal stories based on her remarkable career and leadership journey. She detailed her distinguished career of improving the efficiency and operations of organizations serving poor and hungry people around the world. Sharing behind-the-scenes insights and actionable takeaways, Catherine wanted participants to walk away remembering, “here are some of the things that I have learned that I’d like to share with you today: engage in meaningful networking opportunities; be intentional about the impacts you want to create; understand your own tolerance level; be grounded in your principles, and champion inclusive leadership by mentoring others.”

Natalia Palacios, a member of the Woman in Science group at CIMMYT, interviewed Catherine. “Catherine’s contributions have been instrumental in enhancing food security, nutrition, and gender equality. Her advocacy has shed light on the crucial roles that women play in food production, family nutrition and community resilience—areas that are aligned with CIMMYT’s mission,” said Natalia. Responding to Natalia’s question on proud moments, Catherine talked about the Trust Fund she created with her World Food Prize to support programs that increased opportunities for girls and women to attend school. “I created the Catherine Bertini Trust Fund for Girls’ Education. There are some wonderful stories of support we’ve given. I learned that nobody should underestimate their potential to be a role model,” she added.

Catherine also addressed questions from session participants on how to build inclusive organizations through a learning culture; tips to help employees adapt to new technology in the age of artificial intelligence (AI); and approaches to manage culture change: how to find the balance and address tensions and trade-offs.

The third session ended with closing remarks from Bram who expressed his gratitude to Catherine for participating in the Catalysts of Change Seminar Series, highlighting her incredible leadership journey and unwavering passion in accelerating the advancement of women in leadership. “This was such an inspiring conversation. There are two take home messages for me: let us appreciate the contributions of those who came before us; and we need more dialogue and to listen to each other much more,” he concluded, underscoring CIMMYT’s commitment to changing the leadership equation through greater representation of women leaders at CIMMYT and CGIAR.

To learn more about Catalysts of Change: Women Leaders in Science, click here to watch the seminar video or visit our website.

Alison Bentley announced as 2023 Borlaug CAST Communication Award recipient

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Press releases.

AMES, IOWA—The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) has announced the 2023 Borlaug CAST Communication Award goes to Alison Bentley.

 

While Bentley is known for her global research on wheat genetics, she is also recognized for her proficiency in science communication. Bentley has a passion for delivering practical applications from innovation to farmers, extensive reach through communicating and influencing, and mentoring and support of individuals and community efforts. Bentley’s exceptional work in raising awareness about the importance of wheat as a food crop is also evidenced by her wide-ranging list of communication activities.

In 2022 alone, Bentley delivered 20 scientific presentations—including five international keynote talks and 15 additional invited talks. Bentley focused her communication efforts around two major areas. The first area was her rapid, science-led response to the impact of the Russian/Ukraine war on global wheat production through a communication article in Nature, followed with a social media campaign and numerous presentations and invited policy briefings. Her second area of focus was a major communications campaign by initiating and leading the Women in Crop Science network. This network was developed to address key issues such as the promotion and championing of females throughout their research careers, creating equal opportunities, and increasing visibility of members.

The extensive breadth of Bentley’s outreach ranges from classic science presentations and open access articles to blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, and Twitter campaigns. All these formats demonstrate her commitment to science communication and reaching as wide an audience as possible in an accessible way to engage with important, current topics regarding wheat supplies and plant breeding.

The official presentation of the award will take place at a special side event during the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue event in Des Moines, Iowa, in October. The Borlaug CAST Communication Award honors the legacy of Norman Borlaug, a Nobel Prize winner and author of the first CAST publication, and Dr. Charles A. Black, the first executive vice president of CAST. It is presented annually for outstanding achievement by a scientist, engineer, technologist, or other professional working in the agricultural, environmental, or food sectors for contributing to the advancement of science through communication in the public policy arena.

ABOUT CAST

CAST is an international consortium of scientific and professional societies, universities, companies, nonprofits, libraries, and individuals. CAST convenes and coordinates networks of experts to assemble, interpret, and communicate credible, unbiased, science-based information to policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public.

www.cast-science.org

ABOUT CIMMYT

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is an international organization focused on non-profit agricultural research and training that empowers farmers through science and innovation to nourish the world in the midst of a climate crisis. Applying high-quality science and strong partnerships, CIMMYT works to achieve a world with healthier and more prosperous people, free from global food crises and with more resilient agri-food systems. CIMMYT’s research brings enhanced productivity and better profits to farmers, mitigates the effects of the climate crisis, and reduces the environmental impact of agriculture.

CIMMYT is a member of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR INTERVIEWS

Sarah Fernandes
Head of Communications
CIMMYT
s.fernandes@cgiar.org

 

2023 Women In Triticum (WIT) Award Winners Announced

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Press releases.

The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) is pleased to announce the 2023 Jeanie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum (WIT) Early Career and Mentor awardees, recognizing excellence in science and leadership for a wheat-secure future.

The WIT awards are a premier recognition of talent and dedication of early-career women scientists and those who have excelled at mentoring women working in wheat and its nearest cereal relatives. This year’s winners are innovative wheat researchers from Malawi, Morocco, New Zealand, Spain, Tunisia and the United States.

“It is an honor to recognize these incredible scientists for their drive and vision in support of food security,” said Jeanie Borlaug Laube, chair of the BGRI and daughter of Nobel Prize Peace-winner Norman E. Borlaug. “My father believed that generations of hunger fighters would be needed to rid the world of food insecurity, and I’m proud to recognize these 2023 awardees for continuing to carry that mission forward.”

The WIT Early-Career Award provides women working in wheat with the opportunity for additional training, mentorship and leadership opportunities. The WIT Mentor Award recognizes the efforts of men and women who have played a significant role in shaping the careers of women working in wheat and demonstrated a commitment to increasing gender parity in agriculture.

“The WIT Awards have proven to be influential in shifting gender dynamics towards more equity in wheat science. WIT awardees are taking on leadership roles in scientific settings all over the world, and these newest awardees have the potential to continue that trend towards a more inclusive future,” said Maricelis Acevedo, director for science for the BGRI and research professor of global development in Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Since founding the WIT awards in 2010, the BGRI has now recognized 71 early-career award winners from 31 countries and 13 mentors from 9 countries.

2023 Early-Career Awardees

Veronica Faith Guwela

From Malawi, Veronica is a Ph.D student, University of Nottingham (UoN)-Rothamsted Research (RRes) in the United Kingdom, and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) in Malawi. She focuses on exploiting the wider genetic variation among wheat and wild relatives to identify novel sources for increased grain zinc and iron concentration, and transfer these to African varieties.

Hafssa Kabbaj

From Morocco, Hafssa is genomic selection expert for the durum wheat breeding program at International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Morocco. Her work is aimed at implementing genomic selection and speed breeding tools to deliver superior cultivars to national partners from Central and West Asia, North Africa, and West Africa.

Marina Millán-Blánquez

From Spain, Marina is a fourth-year Ph.D. student at the John Innes Centre where she studies the post-anthesis development of the unpollinated wheat carpel under the supervision of Cristóbal Uauy and Scott Boden and in collaboration with KWS and Syngenta. Marina is applying a combination of approaches, including field trials, microscopy work, machine learning, and transcriptomics to better understand the genetic processes regulating different aspects of female fertility in bread wheat.

Megan Outram

From New Zealand, Megan is a CERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). She focuses on developing molecular understanding of the interactions between rust fungi and wheat through structural biology and protein biochemistry, and recently adopted new artificial intelligence technologies in her work to facilitate structural analysis on a genome-wide scale for the purpose of exploiting structural conservation to engineer novel, durable genetic resistance in wheat and ensure effective utilization of current resistance.

Amanda Peters Haugrad

From the United States, Amanda is a research geneticist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) at the Cereal Crops Research Unit in Fargo, North Dakota. Her current research program focuses on pre-breeding and germplasm improvement for both tetraploid and hexaploid wheat, focusing on the Great Plains region.

2023 Mentor Award Winner

Amor Yahyaoui

A dual citizen of Tunisia and the United States, Amor is vice president of the Borlaug Training Foundation. His work has spanned organizations on multiple continents, with positions at the University of Tunis, ICARDA, and CIMMYT. As Wheat Training Officer at CIMMYT from 2012-2018, he enhanced academic and hands-on training on wheat improvement for junior scientists from over 20 countries annually. There he developed a modular advanced wheat improvement course for mid-career scientists. In Tunisia he initiated the CRP-Wheat Septoria Precision Phenotyping Platform in Tunisia, where from 2015 to 2021 he fully involved graduate research as part of platform that led to women researchers earning seven Ph.D. and two MSc degrees in a six-year period.

Read the original article: 2023 Women In Triticum (WIT) Award Winners Announced

One year of Women in Crop Science at CIMMYT

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in Features.

To mark International Women’s Day 2023, Nele Verhulst, cropping systems agronomist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), shares progress from the Women in Crop Science group and how their work tries to contribute to gender equality in agriculture and science.

Growing up in the nineties in Belgium, I was interested in feminism, but I also assumed that the fight for equal rights for women and men had been fought and won. Studying bioscience engineering in the 2000s, more than half of the students were women, so this demonstrated to me that we were all set (although the large majority of professors were men, it seemed to be just a matter of time for that to be resolved). I have now been working in Latin America as an agronomist and researcher for more than 15 years and have come to realize that there is still a lot of work to do to achieve equal opportunities for female farmers, farm advisors, scientists, and other professionals in agriculture.

At CIMMYT, between 20 and 25 percent of staff in the science career track – careers involving field, lab, data, and socioeconomic work – are female. Because of that, Alison Bentley and I started a group of women in crop science at CIMMYT about one year ago on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in 2022. In our first meeting, we aimed to connect, discussed how to build a network (we did not even have a list of all women in science at CIMMYT, so it was hard to know who to invite), and decided whether we wanted to commit to additional actions to achieve a more inclusive environment at CIMMYT.

Since that first meeting, we have organized coffee mornings and other events, and have split into smaller working groups to draft action plans on ten topics: gender in the workplace strategy development, advancement for locally recruited staff, mentorship, recruitment processes, microaggressions, harassment policies, work-life balance, family friendly work environment, raising external awareness about women in agriculture, and ensuring internal visibility.

Our group is also linked to the worldwide network of Women in Crop Science and the One CGIAR Women in Research and Science (WIRES) group.

I have enjoyed being able to make some first small changes – who knew sanitary facilities would turn out to be a recurring topic! – but most of all I have loved the opportunities over the past year to connect with women with a shared passion for crop science in all its aspects. That passion and the opportunities it creates to improve the lives of farmers and rural communities is the most important thing we are celebrating today.

Cover photo: Women participate in a public harvest event for timely sown wheat organized by the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in in Nagwa village near Patna in Bihar, India. (Photo: Madhulika Singh/CIMMYT)

How a new generation of women are changing wheat science

Written by Sarah McLaughlin on . Posted in News.

by Krisy Gashler 

For Charlotte Rambla, winning the 2022 Jeanie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum (WIT) Early-Career Award was an “incredible, unreal experience.”

Each year, the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) honors five to six female early-career wheat researchers with the WIT award in recognition of scientific excellence and leadership potential. With the award, women scientists receive leadership training and professional development opportunities meant to support them as they join the community of scholars who are fighting hunger worldwide.​

“The training I’ve received with this award has been one of the best experiences of my professional life,” said Rambla, an Italian native who recently completed her Ph.D. at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation in Australia and has begun a postdoctoral appointment at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. “Meeting these incredible women working in the same field, sharing our knowledge and experiences, it felt like we belonged together and were working toward one shared purpose; We are all joined by this same passion for agriculture and science.”

The 2022 awards honored six early-career scientists from Morocco, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Italy, Pakistan and China. Since 2010, the WIT awards have recognized 66 early-career scientists from 29 different countries. The training and development opportunities offered to each year’s cohort varies, based on the needs and interests of the winners, said Maricelis Acevedo, director for science for the BGRI, research professor in the Department of Global Development at Cornell University, and a 2010 WIT awardee. The 2022 WIT cohort visited the World Food Prize Foundation in October, just before the foundation announced the winner of this year’s World Food Prize, widely considered the Nobel Prize for food and agriculture.

“The role of the WIT award is to recognize emerging scientific leadership and provide training and support for women working in wheat to create a cohesive group of hunger-fighters who have the skills to lead the next generation of scientists and create the solutions that we need at such a critical time,” Acevedo said. “As these women receive the award, we hope that they continue to support other women and other early-career scientists, and to train their students in a more open, diverse network.”

Meriem Aoun, a 2018 WIT awardee and native of Tunisia, was a postdoctoral associate at Cornell University when she won her award. Her cohort received a month-long training at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) – the center where Norman Borlaug did the research that earned him the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize –  and attended the 2018 international BGRI conference in Morocco. Aoun believes that the WIT award supported her professional career development and gave her the opportunity to connect with other WIT winners from many countries.  “I am thrilled to see more and more ambitious and career-interested wheat scientists and that our community of WIT winners is growing each year,” she said.

Now an assistant professor of wheat pathology at Oklahoma State University (OSU), Aoun studies the genetics of disease resistance to wheat pathogens. She is a key member of OSU’s wheat improvement team developing disease-resistant wheat varieties suited for Oklahoma and the Southern Great Plains of the U.S.

For 2013 winner and Swiss-Argentinian Sandra Dunckel, the fact that BGRI chooses a cohort of women each year, rather than a single winner, is one of the strengths of the award. Now head of Breeding Barley, Special Crops and Organics at KWS Group, a multinational seed company headquartered in Germany, Dunckel said the networking opportunities were among the most beneficial aspects of her WIT award training.

“There is this group of women who are working on a common goal, and even if you aren’t in touch for several years, you can contact someone from your year, or really any year, and say, ‘Hello, fellow WIT winner, I’m looking for a breeder with great potential for one of my teams, can you recommend someone, or  I need help with this question.’ It’s always there to fall back on,” she said.

Dunckel won her WIT award while completing her PhD at Kansas State, then worked for two years as a wheat breeder in Australia before moving to her current role at KWS, where she oversees nine breeding teams across Europe who are working to develop new barley, peas, oats and protein crop varieties that are more tolerant to drought and heat, have desired quality profiles and can be grown more sustainably globally.

Paula Silva, a 2020 WIT awardee, also won her award while completing her PhD at Kansas State. She has since returned to her native Uruguay, where she leads the breeding team developing disease resistant varieties of barley and wheat for Uruguay’s National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA). From 2019-2022, she coordinated breeding efforts with CIMMYT by leading the Precision field-based Phenotyping Platform (PWPP) for Multiple Resistance to Wheat Diseases.

One of the purposes of the WIT award is to help achieve gender parity among wheat scientists, and Silva said she believes the award “is playing a big part in building gender equality.”

Silva said that as a student, she was encouraged to apply for the WIT award by Sarah Evanega, who, along with Ronnie Coffman, international professor emeritus of plant breeding and genetics at Cornell, lobbied for the establishment of the WIT award. The BGRI now annually presents WIT honors to early-career scientists and a mentor award for excellence in advising of women working in wheat and its nearest relatives.​

“Sarah was always advocating for young, female participation,” Silva said. “I remember her counting how many females there were in conference pictures, and I do that now, too. You can see, year by year, the female representation gets bigger and bigger.”

Full gender equality in science is still lacking, but progress is being made. The gains are seen in wider perspectives that challenge orthodoxy and improve scientific possibilities.

“The WIT awards are a fantastic way to recognize and support emerging leaders in our community. The impressive cohort of past and present WIT recipients are actively contributing to global efforts to improve crop production and food security,” said Alison Bentley, who now leads the Global Wheat Program at CIMMYT.

Part of Acevedo’s leadership role for BGRI is helping choose each year’s winner, as part of a panel that includes previous WIT awardees and globally recognized wheat scientists, and working with each cohort to develop appropriate training opportunities. Acevedo said as she progressed in her career, she realized how important it was to help young female scientists not only with traditional training and networking opportunities, but also with leadership, communication, and work-life balance.

“It’s really tough to be an isolated scientist: science can be very individualistic. It can be competitive. As women in science, we feel particularly isolated because a lot of our colleagues are males. So you may feel like, ‘This is only happening to me, I’m the only one struggling with this,’” Acevedo said. “In these trainings, we celebrate professional and personal successes but also share  our challenges, normalize struggles, and find support. As we think about a more collaborative and open science, we need to be talking more about humbleness, the positive impact of recognizing and making peace with weakness, and seeking support from one another to thrive as a diverse research community.”

Read the original article: How a new generation of women are changing wheat science