Petrulla headshot

Leland Fellow

Natalie Petrulla

11th Class, 2021-2023

Prior to becoming a Leland Fellow, Natalie worked as a Gender Integration Associate with EnCompass on the USAID Feed the Future Advancing Women’s Empowerment program, providing technical assistance for gender integration in agriculture and market systems programs. She conducted qualitative research and developed practical tools focused on increasing women’s decision-making power in production and beyond production activities and addressing issues of gender-based violence in agriculture. Natalie also served as a Food Security Extension Agent in Peace Corps Benin, where she and her local counterparts designed and implemented programs at the intersection of gender and food security in the community. Together, they supported 50 Village Savings and Loans Associations, worked with women’s groups to develop agriculturally based income generating activities, and designed programs to educate youth on nutrition-sensitive agriculture. Originally from New Jersey, Natalie holds a BA in Public Policy and Environmental Science from New York University.

Host Organization: NCBA CLUSA

First Year Placement
Dakar, Senegal

Natalie worked as a Gender and Research Fellow with NCBA CLUSA, supporting the USAID Feed the Future Kawolor program in Dakar, Senegal. The aim of this program was to improve nutrition and food security through Nutrition-Led Agriculture. Natalie’s primary role was supporting gender integration in the program activities. As the program was in its final year, Natalie also conducted a qualitative study to better understand the program’s impacts on women’s empowerment. In conjunction, Natalie documented the program’s gender integration approach so that it could both be used by NCBA CLUSA in other programs and institutionalized by the Senegalese government in their economic development initiatives.

Second Year Placement
Washington, D.C.

Natalie Petrulla works as a Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Specialist with NCBA CLUSA based in Washington, D.C. Natalie’s primary role is leading gender equity and youth integration, and social inclusion across the organization’s project portfolio. This includes leading the organization’s Gender Equity and Social Inclusion working group as well as providing technical assistance to current projects and technical inputs on project design. She also developed an internal Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Strategy and is working closely with teams across the organization to advise them on implementing the strategy in their work.

Blog Posts

A Secret Ingredient: Women’s Agency and Food Security in Senegal

Blog Post / December 23, 2022