Arab Women Leaders in Agriculture (AWLA)

The need to address food security challenges of the 21^st century in the Middle East and North Africa region has never been as urgent as it is now, especially in light of the growing population and the increasing effects of climate change. These challenges make it more difficult to secure the food needs of the region’s inhabitants in the coming years. As these challenges put future food security in the region at risk, the agricultural sector needs more innovation and soon.

Despite the widely recognized need for improved agricultural production and distribution, agricultural research is lagging behind. Women in particular represent a small number of the agricultural research scientists in the region — and certainly throughout the world. In the field of research and innovation, the average share of women scientists across the MENA region stands at a mere 17%, which in comparison to other regions is the lowest. The share of women scientists is higher at the graduate level: women represent an average of 30% of researchers with Bachelor of Science degrees, but only 22% and 18% with Master of Science and PhD degrees respectively.

Getting more women to work on food, nutrition and water security issues in general and particularly in agricultural research is one way to boost much-needed innovation. Studies have shown that gender-balanced teams improve innovation and productivity. The latest research also confirms that women are critical to innovation. One study, for example, found that the proportion of women in teams is positively linked with the teams’ success.