When women farmers gain access to essential technology, the impact extends beyond fields and families—it has the potential to transform entire economies.

Yet, for millions of women in agriculture, basic tools and innovations remain out of reach, limiting their potential and stalling progress in food security. This was the driving theme at the recent World Food Prize side event, “Ensuring Access to Technology for Women in Agriculture,” where a panel of experts convened Oct. 30 to explore how to break down barriers to technology and open new pathways for women in farming.

The event, organized by the U.S. Department of State Office of Agricultural Policy, featured a panel moderated by Dina Esposito, assistant to the administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security and Feed the Future deputy coordinator for development. The panel included Raja Rajeswari Meka, women and youth enterprise development specialist from the Feed the Future Insect-Resistant Eggplant Partnership, which is based in the Cornell’s School of Integrative Plant Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“Limited access to biotechnology in Bangladesh stifles prosperity and hinders food security by restricting farmers’ ability to adopt high-yield, pest-resistant crops,” Meka said. She emphasized that providing women with technology—such as pest-resistant Bt eggplant—could empower them to increase yields, reduce costs, and improve their quality of life.

Read the full story at the Feed the Future Insect-Resistant Eggplant Partnership website.