EWA-AWLN High-Level Breakfast Meeting

ADDIS ABABA, 13th February 2026 On the margins of the 39th African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit, the Empowering Women in Agriculture (EWA), in partnership with African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), convened the Ninth EWA–AWLN High-Level Breakfast Meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

The 2026 edition, held under the leadership of the EWA Co-conveners H.E Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo and H.E President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, as well as H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda, AWLN’s Rural, Urban, and Maritime Communities Pillar Lead, aligned with the AU’s 2026 theme “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063,”and commemorated the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026). 

H.E. Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President of Nigeria and Co-Chair of EWA, underscored the need to reposition agriculture as a profitable and sustainable business sector driven by women’s leadership. He highlighted measurable impacts achieved through EWA initiatives, including increased agricultural productivity, expanded agribusiness opportunities, and improved household nutrition outcomes across participating countries.

H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General and AWLN Pioneer, emphasized that women are central actors in transforming Africa’s food systems and called for stronger investments and coordinated action among partners to address structural inequalities limiting women’s access to land, finance, technology, and decision-making.

A key highlight of the breakfast meeting was the presentation of the EWA Malawi Project, demonstrating proof of concept through strengthened access to markets, mechanization, climate-smart agriculture, and value addition. Additional country experiences from Uganda and Nigeria showcased innovation in agro-industrialization, export readiness, and women-led agribusiness development.