Hi, I’m Vicki Wilde (@wilde_vicki) & I lead women’s empowerment in agriculture development @gatesfoundation! Today, I’m taking over Rodger’s Twitter account & sharing lessons I’m learning from the rural women who provide our food systems. #WomensHistoryMonth

For background on me: I’ve been working to create quality opportunities for women in agriculture for nearly three decades and have dedicated my life to making farming more sustainable, equitable and profitable. And I’m a big proponent of women’s leadership.

#WomensHistoryMonth is a time to celebrate women's achievements globally. It’s also a moment to recognize rural women as front line workers for food and climate adaptation. We must support them through cooperation & innovation to #EmbraceEquality. Let's explore how! #WHM

Women farmers lack access to the same opportunities as their male counterparts. That’s why we support innovations and initiatives designed to ensure women have access to the market, financial and networking tools they need to thrive. Here are some examples!

Example 1: Project Mesha has a fresh approach to women’s self-help groups in India, training goat rearers as entrepreneurs who deliver animal health services and achieve financial independence, mobility and respect. medium.com/@DrNickAustin/…

Example 2: @AGRA_Africa’s #VALUE4HER is growing new opportunities for African women in agribusiness by leveraging the power of digital platforms to connect women to financing, market and trade opportunities. agra.org/value4her/

Example 3: Recognizing rural women as priority clients is key to unlocking widespread change! Improving women’s access to cell phones can improve incomes, nutrition & health. @CGIARgender is removing barriers & creating opportunities for women farmers. ipsnews.net/2023/03/forget…

@CGIARgender Ex 4: Ensuring women have access to information geared towards their own priorities is a must. That’s why @digitalgreenorg designs extension solutions to build women's agency, transform intra-household inequality, & redefine gender norms. See how: digitalgreen.org/gender/

@CGIARgender @digitalgreenorg Lastly, another example of @CGIAR’s work in #GenderinAg is its Gender Equality initiative (HER+), which explores social innovations to increase women’s climate resilience. By listening to rural women we are learning what works and what does not. cgiar.org/news-events/ne…

@CGIARgender @digitalgreenorg @CGIAR With so many challenges facing women around the world, there is an urgent need to scale-up innovations to support the women who are shaping the solutions we all need.

More people are understanding the role women play in addressing hunger & climate adaptation—and what we all lose when they are held back. We cannot wait. #EmbracingEquality means taking action now. Thanks for taking the time to read my takeover 🧵 @wilde_vicki signing off!