• Sector: Women in Leadership
• Country location: Australia
• Grantee: International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)

Project description

Arab Women Leaders in Agriculture (AWLA) is a one-year capacity building program led by the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA). The program is dedicated to Arab women scientists and focuses on building both their leadership and research skills in agricultural sustainability and food security, with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. AWLA aims to: (a) facilitate the program fellows' access to leadership roles and promote research excellence and impact; (b) encourage gender-responsive working cultures and enabling environments; and (c) provide Arab women scientists with platforms to showcase their capabilities and contributions. The inaugural cohort includes 22 women scientists from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia.

Funding support from the Council of Australian-Arab Relations (CAAR), is enabling two outstanding AWLA fellows to attend the International Tropical Agriculture Conference in Brisbane, Australia on 11-13 November 2019. The fellows will also visit James Cook University in Townsville, Australia on 15-16 November 2019 to familiarize themselves with innovations in agricultural technologies and practices developed in Australia and worldwide that can be adapted in the agricultural sector in the MENA region. This knowledge will then be shared by the fellows with their fellow researchers, extension workers and farmers in their countries of origin.

Key dates

• International Tropical Agriculture Conference: Brisbane, 11 to 13 November 2019
• Visiting James Cook University: Townsville, 15 to 16 November 2019

• Council for Australian-Arab Relations grant offer: $12,500.
• Total project value: $12,500.