Beyond recognition: Investing in women as food system leaders

Date: September 3, 2026
Location: Kigali Convention Centre

Co-organized by: AECF, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), AGRA, International Development Research Center (IDRC), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

This session will showcase practical solutions, lived experiences and approaches led by women across African food systems. Women farmers, agripreneurs, processors, researchers, innovators and ecosystem actors will share what is working, what is changing and the support needed to scale their impact.

Through short solution talks, a moderated roundtable and open dialogue, the session will examine how finance, research, enterprise support, market linkages and policy can better enable women to lead and benefit from food systems transformation. It will also advance the International Year of the Woman Farmer and support gender responsive implementation of the CAADP Kampala Declaration.