b'Watch Your StepWomen Breaking Glass Ceilings in the FieldISF creates space at the World Seed Congress for women to share and celebrate. Melissa ShipmanWHILE SEEDS PROVIDEthe roots for creating a greater and more sustainable global food future, gender dynamics are still subject to historical imbalances across the agricultural industry. So, for the first time, the International Seed Federation (ISF) is shining the spotlight on women in the seed sector to inspire leadership, effect lasting change, and create more opportunities for inclusiveness in our industry.Marie Tahmazian, finance and member engagement man-ager for ISF, explains the idea to highlight women in agricul-ture first came during the National Seed Associations meeting during the ISF Midterm Meetings in Rome in November 2022. We thought it would be a great idea to organize a wom-ens luncheon during the ISF World Seed Congress in South Africa, to bring together women in agribusiness and give them a space to exchange, share experiences, identify common challenges, and create a network, Tahmazian says. The planned setup includes a short panel talk with women speakers from the seed and agribusiness sector, followed by a networking lunch. The speakers for the women luncheon during the ISF WSC 2023 are: Michael Keller, ISF secretary general; Lorena Basso, Semillas Basso Argentina, ISF Executive committee and BOD; Lukeshni Chetty, SANSOR general manager; and Susan Allen, Sakata South Africa. Its an interesting and diverse group that will bring a variety of perspectives. We want to hear inspiring experiences of women in the business, the challenges they had to overcome in their profes-sional life, the limitations that hinder a womans career for gen-der-specific reasons, what concerns companies have when hiring female employees, and how to be resilient in pursuing a career. We also want to provide advice to young women in the seed profession, Tahmazian says.10/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2023'