Dear ENGEA members and others The Ethiopian Network for Gender Equality in Agriculture (ENGEA) was established to create a platform for transferring knowledge and sharing experiences and best practices regarding ongoing activities in the agricultural sector, to ensure gender equality.

Dear members, through this platform, we are striving to bring knowledge, experiences, learnings, and dreams together to ensure gender equality in agriculture and to step beyond surplus production with full engagement of women and youth in agricultural production and investment. In this platform, we have observed strengths through cooperation and teamwork. I believe all the best things in the world happen through solid cooperation and collaboration. When we walk down the streets, we see homes built by people working together, big businesses that grow because of customers' and owners' trust and cooperation, and beautiful gardens nurtured by neighbors who share passion, tools, and knowledge. None of these things would exist without unity and synergy. We are all here to work for the big achievements, to protect the rights of individuals to learn, participate, lead, grow, and contribute.

We are here to protect and nurture women's and girls' rights to equal participation and benefit from the process. We observed the vast roles and determination of women for better production in the agricultural sector. But, still, social and gender norms and biased perceptions of actors are holding back the full contribution and benefits of women in the Agriculture sector. We need to transform these for a better future for human beings. As you know, guaranteeing this goal would not be achieved by independent efforts; it needs the commitment of each individual and institutions too. Dear members, to uncover potential opportunities in the agriculture sector to ensure gender equality, we need the shared dreams, ambitions, and determination of all ENGEA members. I hope we can make it real through synergy and determination. Finally, I would like to send my heartfelt thanks to those who are working with our Ministry to ensure gender equality in the sector. Thank You