At the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), we are committed to fostering inclusive, safe, and equitable environments across all our member institutions and programs. Recognizing that gender equality and safeguarding are critical to sustainable development and academic excellence, RUFORUM integrates these principles into its policies, operations, and partnerships.

Promoting Gender equity and inclusion
RUFORUM actively champions the empowerment of women, girls and other vulnerable groups (people with disabilities, refugees) in higher education, particularly in agriculture, science, and innovation. Our gender mainstreaming strategy seeks to:

• Increase women’s and other vulnerable group’s participation in postgraduate training, research, and leadership.
• Address structural barriers and biases within partner institutions.
• Support gender-responsive curricula and research.
• Amplify the voices and visibility of female and other vulnerable scientists and students.

We work closely with member universities to implement gender-sensitive and inclusive policies as well as track progress through institutional reporting and benchmarking.

Safeguarding and Protection
RUFORUM upholds a zero-tolerance to any form of harm including sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse across all its activities. We have developed safeguarding guidelines to:

• Protect students, staff, and communities engaged in our programs.
• Ensure responsible research and field engagement.
• Promote awareness and accountability at all levels of engagement.

Training, awareness-raising, and partnership with institutional safeguarding leads are key pillars of our approach.

Through these efforts, RUFORUM aims to build inclusive, respectful, and secure learning environments where all individuals regardless of gender or background can thrive and contribute to Africa’s transformation.