Women and Climate Change : A Dialogue with Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg

Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change with the agricultural sector heavily impacted. Reductions in yield are projected to reach 50% by 2050 with agricultural production providing only 13% of the population’s needs. By strengthening the ability of African agricultural researchers, institutions and agribusinesses to conduct and disseminate gender responsive agricultural innovation, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) is working towards more inclusive, agriculture-driven prosperity for the African continent.

Join Dr. Kamau-Rutenberg and SFU's Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue on Thursday, June 6th, from 10:00am - 12:00pm for an intimate dialogue to discuss what women need to be effective in the space of climate change and agriculture. Here, we will explore the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), One Planet Initiative and discuss what support women scientists working in Africa need. This dialogue will be facilitated by the Executive Director of SFU's Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Shauna Sylvester.

About the Speaker: Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg is Director of African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD). AWARD manages the One Planet Fellowship, a climate change initiative sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and BNP Paribas Foundation and which enjoys the official patronage of the President of France.

Prior to joining AWARD, Wanjiru was Founder and Executive Director of Akili Dada, an award-winning leadership incubator that invests in high-achieving young women from under-resourced families driving change in their communities. Wanjiru also served as an assistant professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco. Her academic research and teaching interests centered on African politics, gender, international relations, ethnicity, democratization, and the role of technology in social activism.

Born in Kenya, Wanjiru holds a PhD and a master's degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and a Politics BA from Whitman College, Washington, U.S.A.

Accessibility

The SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue is located at 580 W. Hastings St (enter via Seymour Street courtyard entrance), and is located a brief walk from Waterfront station and numerous bus stops.Bike stalls are available outside the Hastings entrance of SFU Harbour Centre (located across the street). Nearby parking is available at 500 & 400 W. Cordova St.Washrooms are located on the lower level, second, third, and fourth floors. The venue has a gender-neutral washroom, available on the second floor (take the hallway to the right).All floors within the building are wheelchair accessible and serviced by elevators.

Land Aknowledgement

We respectfully acknowledge that this event takes place on the Unceded, Traditional, Ancestral Territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ, and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm First Nations.