Women’s Accelerator Mentorship programme in Africa – Leadership and Human Resources workshop
Key takeaways from the Leadership and Human Resource-focused workshop of the FAO-IAFN Women’s Accelerator Mentorship Programme for Women-led SMEs in Africa
The FAO-IAFN Women's Accelerator Mentorship Programme for Women-led SMEs in Africa, jointly led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Agri-Food Network (IAFN), supports 50 women entrepreneurs from across sub-Saharan Africa to address key challenges and constraints and expand their businesses through one-to-one mentoring.
During the Leadership and Human Resources workshop that took place on 31 January, FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol delivered the keynote speech. She provided her insights on being a woman agripreneur, on growing up on a multi-generational family farm in rural Indiana in the United States of America, and on her current role as part of FAO’s leadership team.
“Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play one of the most important and pivotal roles in ensuring that we achieve food security and nutritious and healthy diets for all. SMEs operate in the food and agriculture sector providing a large share of food for lower income households and also play a key role revitalizing rural economies and driving innovation,” highlighted Bechdol.
Bechdol shared her thoughts on leadership and what she considered to be essential for success – connecting with others and building a community, having the courage to lead and create change, and continuous curiosity… that is to say, a constant state of learning. Being a woman agripreneur has its challenges, but this workshop will prove to be a useful tool for knowledge sharing and supporting growth, she added.
Highlights from other sessions
FAO Senior Human Resources Officer and Head of the Learning and Performance Unit, Rachael Cogen also joined the workshop. She led the Business Needs Assessment fire starter session and facilitated the “People Centered Approach to building and leading teams” session, where discussions centered on how leaders can create a workplace where people are engaged and inspired, and can adapt to a rapidly changing context.
Cogen shed a light on the 2023 human resource trends. These trends include the increase in hybrid work, the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and prioritizing employee well-being and mental health.
Cogen concluded by underlining what she considered to be the six key skills for leaders: active listening, adaptability, empathy, accountability, situational leadership and emotional intelligence.
More about the workshop
The workshop is part of a series of webinars organized by FAO and IAFN on crucial topics for women entrepreneurs, including Business Development and Marketing, as well as Access to Finance. It gathered experts in the agrifood business field to provide mentees with an overview of emerging trends, issues, challenges, and opportunities to enhance their leadership and human resource management within their businesses, including in recruitment, retention and training.
The mentees have been trained to identify and improve their leadership style, formulate and implement effective leadership strategies, become more confident as leaders, and enhance their communication skills.
Throughout the 90-minute workshop, participants had the opportunity to engage in fruitful discussions with experts from FAO, the Director-General of IAFN, Ms. Robynne Anderson, and Ms. Sandy Hansen-Wolff, Pan African Agribusiness and Agroindustry Consortium (PANACC), and Lincoln Consulting.
The first workshop of the series was on Business Development and Marketing and took place on 02 December 2022. The third and final workshop of the series is on Access to Finance and is scheduled to take place on 8 March 2023.
Workshop speakers:
Opening:
- Key Note: Ms. Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director General, FAO
- Ms. Robynne Anderson, President, Emerging Ag Inc. / Director General, International Agri-Food Network (IAFN)
- Moderator: Ms. Irina Wandera, Policy Analyst, Emerging Ag
Firestarter and Breakout Rooms:
- Building an organization, hiring and management - Ms. Sandy Hansen-Wolff, Founder & Owner, Sandy Hansen-Wolff: Executive & Leadership Consultant & Coach, Business Strategist, Speaker
- People Centered Approach to building and leading teams - Ms. Rachael Cogen, Senior HR Officer, FAO
- Building and growing your network - Ms. Lucy Muchoki, CEO, Pan African Agribusiness and Agroindustry Consortium (PANACC)
- Change management - Dr. Salome Gitoho, Lead Consultant, Lincoln Consulting
- Building a supportive work environment - Ms. Robynne Anderson, President, Emerging Ag Inc
More about the Programme
FAO-IAFN Accelerator Mentorship Programme is a joint initiative to select fifty women entrepreneurs from countries across Sub-Saharan Africa to participate as mentees in a six-month programme (October 2022 to March 2023). The mentorship focuses on helping participants grow their businesses and adapt to the demands of an ever-changing marketplace. Participants are paired with a mentor – a leader in their field who can share their knowledge and experience – and receive one-on-one mentoring throughout the duration of the programme. The programme is accompanied by the FAO eLearning Academy coursework, helping participants deepen their skills in business development, marketing and leadership, and complemented by a series of expert-led workshops on selected topics designed to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and networking.
Private sector involvement through Micro, Small, Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs), particularly those led by women are crucial to rural economic development and growth. While being key agents in bringing about sustainable agricultural development, women entrepreneurs continue to face numerous challenges and constraints in their businesses. Through this programme, FAO and IAFN aim to tap into women’s crucial role in contributing to food security and agri-food system transformation.
