On April 10, 2026, 13 John Cabot University students participated in a shadowing opportunity at the FAO headquarters in Rome, organized by the Center for Career Services.
As part of JCU’s Women in Leadership Program, the experience focused on gender equality and inclusion within FAO. The timing made the experience even more relevant. In fact, the United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026), recognizing the critical yet often overlooked role women play in global agrifood systems, from production to trade.
The students were welcomed by Gender and Development Officer Omnia Rizk, who accompanied them throughout the day. They had the opportunity to hear from the FAO Gender Team directly, including Tacko Ndiaye (Gender Team Leader), Claudia Valdivielso Sancho (IYWF Communications Specialist), Maurizio Furst (Gender and Development Specialist), Marta Speciale (Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Specialist), and Fatemeh Talebi Lemraski (Gender Intern).
The team provided an overview of the Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division at FAO, covering youth inclusion, decent rural employment, inclusive climate action, the right to adequate food, and gender equality, among other key areas. Led by Tacko Ndiaye, the session also introduced IYWF 2026 and FAO’s commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, especially in rural communities.
International Affairs major Benedetta Viola shared: “What I found incredibly interesting is that FAO collects letters and firsthand testimonies from women farmers worldwide to give a voice to their daily challenges, turning statistics into human stories of resilience and innovation.”
Caterina Ceschini, a student of the MA in International Affairs, added that her main takeaway from the visit was “the importance of addressing gender-based issues through both vertical communication, engaging leaders, and horizontal communication, involving husbands, children, and relatives.” In other words, meaningful change happens at every level, from policy spaces to everyday life.
The day continued with a tour of the FAO Museum. The museum features a vast collection of artworks, rare books, farming tools, textiles, and more.
In the afternoon, students met with the Office of Youth and Women, including Lorenzo Gentile (Youth Programme Lead), Martina Borello (Gender Equality and Young Women’s Empowerment Specialist), and David Giles (Youth Programme Strategy Specialist). The team explained how FAO creates opportunities for youth engagement and participation, such as the World Food Forum Global Youth Action Initiative.
The shadowing experience concluded with a session led by the Decent Rural Employment and Rural Institutions teams, with contributions from Anna Befus (Rural Youth Employment Specialist) and Valentina Sommacal (Rural Institutions and Services Expert), highlighting FAO’s complex yet urgent work of eliminating child labor in agriculture, building frameworks for sustainable rural development, and supporting local collective action through rural institutions.
Marketing major Chiara Lelii shared about the experience: “What struck me most was not only the scope of FAO's work, but the people behind it. Meeting professionals from such diverse cultural, academic and professional backgrounds, and hearing about the varied paths that led them to international development gave me a richer understanding of what it means to work within a global organization. Seeing how different disciplines and perspectives converge around shared goals was inspiring, and it brought a deeply human dimension to what can otherwise feel like abstract, large-scale challenges.”
