Marlène Elias

Marlène Elias is the Gender and Social Inclusion Lead at the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture. She has a BSc in Biology and Environmental Sciences, and an MA and PhD in Geography. Rooted in a feminist political ecology approach, her research aims to advance gender equality and inclusion in forest and biodiversity governance, management, restoration, and in agri-food value chains, and to strengthen women’s resource rights, predominantly in West Africa and South and Central Asia.

Marlène leads the CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion Accelerator’s Area of Work on ‘Solutions’, which focuses on advancing gender-transformative change in agrifood systems. She has authored numerous influential publications, and has extensive experience collaborating with local communities, researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers to create equitable and sustainable food systems.

Before joining the Alliance, Marlène worked in UNESCO’s Division for Gender Equality and as a Fellow in the Department of Anthropology of Université Laval in Canada. She is the founder of the NGO Association Burkina Canada that facilitates education to underprivileged girls and boys in Burkina Faso. Marlène is based in Montreal, Canada.