Problem
Women are underrepresented in science in Ethiopia. In tertiary education, fewer women pursue higher education than men and women academics are a small minority.
Proposed solution
To address women’s underrepresentation in science, the project trained women scientists in infectious diseases on research methodology, grant writing and manuscript development. The project also provided participants with professional support and networking opportunities through a mentoring programme.
Background
Situated in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia is a landlocked country that shares its north and north-eastern border with Eritrea, its eastern border with Djibouti and Somalia, its southern border with Kenya, and its western border with Sudan and South Sudan. Ethiopia is sub-Saharan Africa’s second most populous country, with a population of almost 97 million people, the majority of whom live in rural areas. Classified as a low-income country, Ethiopia has enjoyed political stability and economic growth, as well as a decline in poverty rates in recent years.
Despite a strong scientific publishing record, only a small number of researchers in Ethiopia are women. Recent data show that only 13% of researchers in 2013 in Ethiopia were women (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2015). Moreover, women make up a small proportion of students in secondary and tertiary education, with female enrolment at secondary level at 22% compared with male enrolment at 36%, and female enrolment at tertiary level at 1.3% compared with male enrolment at 4.2% (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2015).
As part of its efforts to address gender disparities in education, Ethiopia introduced the Growth and Transformation Plan (2011-2015). The plan proposed to increase the proportion of women in tertiary education to 40% by 2015. Recognizing the challenges that women scientists in Ethiopia face, the Ministry of Science and Technology’s (MoST) Gender office supported the establishment of the Society of Ethiopian Women in Science and Technology (SEWiST), an association that promotes Ethiopian women scientists’ participation in research through mentoring, networking and recognition.
In 2010, Ethiopia adopted a national Science, Technology and Innovation policy. Designed to “build competitiveness through innovation,” the policy’s objective is to create a sound science and technology foundation and coordinate national capacity building efforts. Ethiopia has also strengthened its institutional framework for science and technology through the establishment of institutions devoted to science and technology, including the National Science and Technology Council, the Technical Advisory Committee of the National S&T Council and the Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission.
Empowering women scientists in Ethiopia
Recognizing women’s underrepresentation in science in Ethiopia, Dr. Aster Tsegaye, a lecturer at the Department of Medical Laboratories, Addis Ababa University, and a member of the Society of Ethiopian Women in Science and Technology (SEWiST) responded to a call issued by TDR to women scientists and research managers in low and medium-income countries (LMICs) to develop strategies for strengthening career development for women research scientists working in the area of infectious diseases of poverty. Addis Ababa University proposed to establish a project to address barriers that women scientists face - Encouraging female researchers in infectious diseases in resource-limited settings through Training, Mentoring, Role Modelling & Networking.
What was done
The project supports women researchers in infectious diseases through training, mentoring & networking.
As part of the project’s activities, a five-day workshop was held for 31 women scientists representing five academic institutions - Addis Ababa University, University of Gondar (North Ethiopia), Haramaya University (Eastern Ethiopia), Hawassa University (Southern Ethiopia), Arbaminch University (South West Ethiopia) and the Society of Ethiopian Women in Science and Technology (SEWiST). The participants, most of whom had never authored a publication, gained skills in research methodology, grant writing and manuscript development and drafted proposals for research on infectious diseases. Several of those proposals have since been submitted for grant funding.
In an effort to familiarize women scientists with research and promotion processes and procedures, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST)’s national ethics committee reviewed guidelines for grant applications and shared requirements and application processes academic promotion. A post workshop assessment revealed that women scientists gained knowledge about IRB requirements and grant application processes both within universities and as they relate to the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Established women scientists, including two female professors and an associate professor in Ethiopia, a senior public health specialist with extensive international experience and two international experts, shared their experiences with the early-career women scientists. For many of the early-career women scientists, their interactions with the established scientists provided an opportunity to ask questions and obtain feedback about how to manage the demands of challenging academic and research careers while balancing their familial responsibilities. As part of the project, a Google group was established to facilitate information sharing as well as provide professional support among the women scientists; the group will continue to meet after the project activities have ended.
Impact
Using the proposal development skills they acquired through the training, several early-career women scientists developed proposals for research on infectious diseases. Those include:
- A proposal exploring pathogenic microorganism and drug susceptibility patterns in oral and dental patients that was developed by an oral-maxillofacial surgeon, biotechnologist, and microbiologist
- A proposal investigating neurological manifestations in paediatric HIV patients with and without HAART using MRI that was developed by a paediatric infectious disease specialist, a radiologist, and an immunologist specialist.
- The Ministry of Science and Technology’s Director General created a special application process to allow the early-career women scientists to submit proposals for grant funding. Nine women scientists, along with collaborators from different universities and other Regional Health Bureaus and institutions including the National Blood Transfusion Service of Ethiopia, submitted a proposal to the ministry for a grant totalling US $230,000. The team was awarded this highly competitive grant in January 2016.
- Two women scientists (a medical microbiologist and an immunologist) served as principal investigators and, along with their collaborators, submitted a proposal on the collection and recycling of waste paper in a teaching hospital
- A proposal on paediatric abdominal mass is being developed by a paediatric surgeon and a radiologist, along with their collaborators at their institution)
Contact: Dr Aster Tsegaye, Addis Ababa University.