A lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Dr Clara Chinwoke Ifeanyi-Obi, has taken a big step toward improving agricultural policies in Africa by creating a new tool that ensures both men and women benefit equally from farming programmes.
Dr Ifeanyi-Obi, who heads the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, is a fellow of the Gender Responsive Agricultural Systems Fellowship (GRASP). On June 7, 2025, she presented her innovative tool, the Gender-Responsive SMART Framework (G-SMART Monitor), at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Abuja.
The G-SMART Monitor is designed to assess whether farming policies are equitable and inclusive, particularly in addressing climate change. It helps leaders make better choices by illustrating how policies affect male and female farmers differently.
This tool is part of Dr Ifeanyi-Obi’s Policy Innovation Project, funded by the GRASP Fellowship. The GRASP programme is supported by the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) and funded by USAID. It focuses on supporting African women professionals who want to improve agricultural policy and create equal opportunities for all farmers. According to the programme goals, more women need to be involved in making decisions about agriculture. The aim is to ensure that farming policies not only support food production but also promote gender equality and help farmers deal with the impact of climate change. Dr Ifeanyi-Obi’s work has been praised for helping push for fairer and smarter agricultural systems across Africa.
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