Capacity development is a critical entry point for integration of gender responsiveness in agricultural development, yet there is little reflection on who should be trained, on what, and how. As an opening paper to this special issue, we ask: What are key aspects of a gender training program that seed attitudinal shifts and practice change in agricultural research teams? To answer this question, we explore how the Gender-responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT) project has pioneered a training model that seeks to challenge the status quo of crop improvement research, questioning norms and focusing on attitudinal shifts and practice change. We examine the project design, execution and iteration, practical constraints, and impacts on participants. We conclude that GREAT demonstrates the importance of a feminist gender training program for effective social change, with future work needed to deepen exposure to feminist theories and testing models of pairing learning with collaborative research engagements.