Profound life and work changes can result from a Meryl Williams Fellowship, as Ha Tran is demonstrating in Vietnam.

PNG forest scientist Agnes Mone Sumareke (aka Aggie) has always looked far beyond her immediate horizon. A born leader, the Meryl Williams Fellow's willingness to embrace new opportunities is now paying dividends, for Agnes, her family and her community.

Two Fijian women. Two Meryl Williams Fellows. Two perspectives on gender equity.

Since the Meryl Williams Fellowship brought them together in 2020 Mere Naivola and Loraini Baleilomaloma Kasainaseva have become part of a strong Pacific network. Here, they share their experiences of working in the agricultural sector and how they are championing change.

Around the world, the challenges of COVID-19 continue to test the resilience of Meryl Williams Fellows (MWF). Recent online leadership training for the second MWF cohort, delivered by Rebecca Spence and Philip Harrell, was itself an adaptation, in lieu of face-to-face workshops.

Here, our lead trainers, Rebecca and Phil, and two of the Meryls - Uugana Erdene, from Mongolia, and Dr Maria Mosqueda, from the Philippines - share their experiences of leading through a pandemic.

Conducting research in the midst of a global pandemic has challenged each one of the recipients of ACIAR ARSF project funding, no matter the country or context. It has demanded adaptability, determination and leadership, often in the face of personal risk.

When she set out to investigate vegetable consumption trends in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic, researcher Nur Fajrina (Rina) thought the work could be helpful in ensuring future food production and security. She didn't expect to also highlight a significant health issue.

"I strongly support more women engaging in agricultural research and I am happy to work with female colleagues and to see the number of women increasing. I make sure that I give equal opportunity to female and male students through time support, technical consultation and field work."

Emboldened by her Meryl Williams Fellowship, Vietnamese researcher and educator Hai Ly Hoang is challenging traditional attitudes in her own life and that of her students.

"One of the most important things that the MWF program gives me is confidence in myself and what a female researcher can do," says Ly, who lectures in horticulture at the Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry. "I now feel confident to pursue agricultural research and that I am not alone. I know that I always have the encouragement and support of my mentor, Dr Nozomi Kawarazuka, and the GEAReD and ACIAR teams."

Forty-three women across the Indo-Pacific are now members of the supportive Meryl Williams Fellowship network that is cementing gender equity as a cornerstone of productive and sustainable agricultural systems. Charismatic and thoughtful Aradhana Deesh is one of them.