“Rise Up builds power with local leaders and organizations to create game-changing solutions that transform the lives of women and girls in their communities and countries. We are excited to leverage our 15 years of experience partnering with locally based organizations to advance gender equality in agrifood systems.”Denise Raquel Dunning
Executive Director, Rise Up
[O3] Rise Up will work with FAO to explore a potential new cohort of local leadership on agrifood policy specifically, which could include access to maternal health and child care in the field, women’s land rights and tenure, and closing the gender productivity gap.
Rise Up works to improve policy on gender equity and justice in education, health and economic opportunity, by partnering with local leaders and providing training, funding and global connections. The organization has a network of nearly 900 local leaders who have successfully advocated for 218 new and improved laws, policies and programmes impacting 172 million people in the areas of economic opportunity, health, education and gender equity.
Rise Up is positioned to introduce its first dedicated programme focusing on local leadership in agrifood policy.
By 2026, Rise Up proposes to recruit and train 50 local leaders to strengthen their skills and develop their own advocacy strategies designed to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems. The organization will invest USD 500 000 in grant funding, coaching and technical assistance to 20 of these leaders to launch their own advocacy strategies to advance gender equality.
Required citation:
FAO. 2025. Commit to Grow Equality: investing in the future of women in agrifood systems – Progress report 2025. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd4123en
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