Accelerating African Women’s Leadership in Climate Action

The AWARD Climate Action Fellowship seeks to achieve a twin goal of increasing the number of African women leading climate change action and catalyze production of climate solutions that work for women smallholders.

The Fellowship is designed to address systemic gender inequalities and build the leadership and technical capacity of African women to lead the design and implementation of inclusive climate solutions. Fellows will be drawn from diverse institutions, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, academia, civil society, and the private sector.

In this second cohort, the Fellowship targets high-potential African women from Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Senegal who are actively working in the field of climate change adaptation and are passionate about developing contextually relevant, gender-equitable interventions.

The ACA Fellowship, inspired by the AWARD Fellowship model, is a non-residential, capacity-building program. Selected candidates will undergo an intensive, one-year career acceleration process, including leadership development, gender integration training, mentorship, and peer-to-peer learning. Fellows will also conceptualize and implement mini collaborative Climate Research and Innovation Projects (CRIPs) to apply their learning in real-world contexts.

Successful candidates will become AWARD Climate Fellows, gaining access to a pan-African network of peers, mentors, and institutions working to catalyze gender-transformative change in climate adaptation and policy.

The call for applications closes at midnight on June 30, 2025, East Africa Time (GMT+3). Applications will NOT be accepted after this date.

Applicants should carefully read the application guidelines for more information on eligibility criteria and the application process.

Download the application guidelines.

Download the Fellowship brochure.

Download the frequently asked questions.

Apply here.