Fully Funded: Accelerating African Women’s Leadership in Climate Action Fellowship

About The Fellowship

The Accelerating African Women’s Leadership in Climate Action Fellowship is a transformative initiative designed to increase the number of African women leading climate change actions. The Fellowship aims to catalyze the development and implementation of climate solutions that directly benefit women smallholders, thereby contributing to equitable rural livelihoods across the continent.

This Fellowship is spearheaded by AWARD, with a mission to empower African women to produce innovations that address the unique challenges faced by smallholders in the African agrifood systems. It emphasizes the creation and dissemination of context-specific knowledge on climate adaptation technologies to key stakeholders, including smallholders, extension workers, and policymakers.

Objectives

The Fellowship seeks to achieve the following key objectives:

• Strengthen Leadership and Mentoring Skills: Equip African women climate change professionals with enhanced leadership, mentoring, and negotiation skills.
• Incorporate Gender in Climate Research: Enhance the capabilities of both women and men professionals to integrate gender perspectives into their climate change research and practices.
• Amplify African Women’s Voices: Increase the visibility and influence of African women climate change professionals in both global and regional climate change dialogues.

Selection Process

The Fellowship is aimed at high-potential women climate professionals who will be competitively selected to participate as Climate Fellows.

Upon admission, Climate Fellows will be paired with seasoned experts working at the intersection of gender, climate change, and agrifood systems. These Fellows will later select early-career climate researchers to mentor.

The selection process involves a rigorous review of applicants based on their experience, expertise, knowledge gaps, and contributions to climate adaptation. The process begins with an open call for applications, followed by an expert panel review and final selection.

Fellowship Package

The Fellowship is a comprehensive two-year program that combines virtual and face-to-face interventions. It includes:

• Training: Leadership, negotiation, and intergenerational mentoring, along with a course on integrating gender into climate change interventions.
• Coaching and Mentoring: Both group and individual coaching, as well as a structured mentoring program.
• Peer Learning: Regular peer-to-peer learning sessions.
• Masterclasses: Participation in masterclasses on emerging trends in gender, climate change, and agrifood systems.
• Collaborative Projects: Conceptualize and lead Climate Research and Innovation Projects (CRIPs) focused on gender and climate adaptation.
• Public Speaking: Opportunities to speak at seminars and other events.
• Role Modeling: In-country role modeling events.

Participants who complete all the Fellowship activities will receive a certificate of completion and join an elite network of experts and food systems champions, including AWARD country chapters.

Learn more and apply here

Join AWARD in bridging gender gaps and fostering inclusive climate solutions in Africa!