Advancing gender equality in research

[SciDev.Net] – Following up on our previous episode that explored the funding disparities faced by women in STEM across Africa, this episode of Africa Science Focus explores the ongoing efforts to foster gender inclusion within science granting councils.

In this episode, our reporters Ogechi Ekeanyanwu and Titilope Fadare speak with councils across Africa to understand the steps being taken to build a more inclusive research ecosystem.

Thomas Kaluvi, an officer at the National Commission for Science and Technology in Malawi, tells us about an internal review that revealed gender imbalances in team composition in previous research projects, discouraging women from participating.

In response, the council introduced a funding quota for women and vulnerable groups to encourage their participation in research projects.   

Hildegalda Mushi, a senior researcher at the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), explains that the council developed a research grant manual that enabled men and women to compete on equal terms.

She adds that the commission also launched a special funding call for women-led projects, to encourage more female researchers to take the lead in research activities.

In Ghana, Mavis Akuffobea-Essilfie, a senior research scientist at the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute, tells us the council is forming focal groups to monitor progress and promote consistent integration of gender considerations across its research system.

To ensure the efforts across councils are sustainable, Lorenza Fluks, senior research specialist at South Africa’s Human Sciences Research Council, explains that a gender equality policy framework was developed to guide future work, embedding gender inclusion into funding, collaborations, and research outcomes.

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This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.

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