The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has revealed the top 15 finalists for the 2024 VALUE4HER Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA). This year’s finalists, selected from an impressive 1,535 applications across 44 African countries, represent the pinnacle of women’s leadership and innovation in agribusiness.
The finalists hail from a diverse range of countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. These exceptional women are recognized for their significant contributions to agriculture, despite women representing 50% of the agricultural labor force in Africa and handling 70% of production.
Ms. Nana Yaa Boakyewaa Amoah, AGRA’s Director for Gender, Youth & Inclusiveness, highlighted that the WAYA initiative seeks to bridge the leadership gap in agribusiness by celebrating and incentivizing women as key drivers of agricultural transformation. This year’s awards aim to address the underrepresentation of women in agribusiness leadership roles across the continent.
The top winners of the 2024 WAYA will each receive a cash prize of $25,000, with the grand prize winner earning $40,000. The awards will be presented at the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, scheduled for September 2-6, 2024.
Noteworthy this year is the increase in participating countries from 42 to 44, and the rise in applications from 1,430 to 1,535. The WAYA categories include Young Female Agripreneur (Rising Star), Women Empowerment Champion, Resilient and Inspirational Leader, Outstanding Value-Adding Enterprise, and Female AgTech Innovator.
AGRA commended the finalists for their outstanding leadership, innovation, and dedication to addressing social and environmental challenges in agriculture and agrifood sectors. These women have demonstrated remarkable ambition and commitment to community development and social impact through their ventures.
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