Events

EMPOWER-ME shares research findings, lessons learned, and practical tools through workshops, conferences, and community events. We engage diverse audiences including policymakers, researchers, development practitioners, and farming communities.

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events. Next events will be posted on UCD Centre for Sustainable Development (LinkedIn).

Past Events

"Agricultural Technology for Women Farmers" - Dissemination Event

Date: 18 March 2026

Location: Sunbird Capital, Lilongwe, Malawi

On 18 March 2026, the Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD) at University College Dublin (UCD), in collaboration with the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), successfully convened the “Agricultural Technology for Women Farmers” Dissemination Event at Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe. The event brought together a diverse audience of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and development partners committed to advancing inclusive and gender-responsive agricultural innovation in Malawi.

The event served as a key milestone in the EMPOWER-ME project, providing a platform to share findings, demonstrate innovations, and catalyse meaningful dialogue on the role of digital agricultural technologies in empowering women farmers across Malawi.

Objectives of the Event

The dissemination event was designed to:

• Share key findings and innovations from EMPOWER-ME with a broad stakeholder audience;

• Demonstrate how Agri-Tech solutions can be designed to be inclusive, gender-responsive, and scalable;

• Stimulate dialogue on the role of digital tools in women’s agricultural empowerment in Malawi;

• Identify opportunities for collaboration, scale-up, and integration with national programmes; and

• Gather stakeholder feedback to inform the next phase of the project.

Highlights from the Technical Sessions

The event featured five thematic presentations delivered by leading researchers and practitioners, each contributing to a comprehensive picture of the intersection between gender equity and agricultural technology:

Dr. Supriya Garikipati (UCD) opened the technical sessions with a summary of the EMPOWER-Me project phase 1 and 2, and highlighted the structural gender disparities that persist in Malawian agriculture and the transformative potential of digital technologies in redressing these inequalities. The presentation set the contextual foundation for the day’s discussions.

Then, Dr. John Omondi (IITA) presented the participatory methodologies employed within EMPOWER-ME to co-design agronomic advisory content with women farmers. He highlighted the importance of centring women’s knowledge, priorities, and lived realities in the development of context-appropriate agricultural advice.

Furthermore, Mr. George Vilili, CEO of Farm Radio Trust, and Mr. Jimmy Phiri jointly presented how digital platforms are being harnessed to deliver precision farming information to women smallholders. Their session spotlighted Farm Radio Trust’s experience in bridging the gap between technology and rural women farmers through accessible digital channels with apps like Mlimi.

From Trinity College Dublin, Dr. Tara Bedi presented findings on how women farmers in Malawi engage with various digital channels for agricultural information. The presentation drew on primary research data to illuminate patterns in technology adoption, preferred communication formats, and the learning journeys of women smallholders. Finally, Dr. Marta Talevi (UCD) closed the technical sessions by presenting an analysis of the specific technological attributes that women farmers prioritise when engaging with digital tools. The findings offer critical design implications for developers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to ensure that Agri-Tech solutions genuinely meet the needs of women in agriculture.

Organised by:

• National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM)

• University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland

• International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

Accelerating Food Security and Sovereignty in Sub-Saharan Africa Conference "Innovation, Inclusion, and Transformation for a Resilient Future"

Date: 11-12 September 2025

Location: National University of Ireland

The event brought together academics, policymakers, development practitioners, and civil society leaders to address urgent challenges including climate change, conflict, inequality, and food insecurity.  Key themes included climate-smart agriculture, digital innovations, gender-inclusive approaches, impact investment, and agroecology. 

A major focus was on scaling sustainable investments—with estimates indicating US$76 billion annually is needed across African agri-food value chains to achieve resilience and sovereignty.  Recommendations emphasized de-risking private investments, strengthening local value chains, and embedding informal sector actors in new interventions. 

The conference underscored the importance of coordinated policy action, public-private partnerships, and integration of regional frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to transform food systems.

Organised by:

• Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD) at University College Dublin (UCD), in collaboration with the African Development Bank and supported by Irish Aid and Research Ireland.