TDR is committed to promoting and supporting the careers of women in science and has published the second edition of the Women in Science compendium, which showcases the contributions and achievements of 20 prominent women scientists working on infectious diseases. The compendium, which shares the challenges the women have faced and practical advice for navigating a career in science, was launched with a webinar on 1 November.
At the launch event, speakers were invited to discuss gender equality- and equity-related aspects of science and research careers, including progress, challenges, and future directions for women in science, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. A recent report from Women in Global Health states that women hold only 25% of senior leadership roles in the health sector.
“I am in a leadership position at the World Health Organization – as a woman, as an African, and as a nurse midwife,” said Professor Pascale Allotey, Director of the WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research. “While these are an indication of change, the power distribution in our institutions is far from balanced. I still walk into and out of some spaces, totally disempowered and unwelcome.” Professor Allotey is one of the scientists featured in the compendium.
The role of mentorship in advancing careers in science
Effective mentorship and support structures are crucial for nurturing talent, ensuring equal opportunities for all, and particularly to overcome barriers that women face in their scientific careers.
"We must create powerful mentorship networks that support women and girls at every stage of their scientific journey and expand financial access for women in science, including scholarships and special grants,” said Professor Claudia Chamas, Researcher at the Centre for Technological Development in Health at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in Brazil.
The webinar underscored the importance of continuous efforts to promote gender equity in science. TDR remains committed to supporting women scientists through various capacity strengthening initiatives, such as the Clinical Research Leadership fellowship, in which women currently make up at least 50% of participants.
This has followed efforts to offer more flexibility in training programmes, by offering virtual sessions in addition to in-person ones, as well as training sites closer to where participants are based, said Dr Anna Thorson, who leads TDR’s Research Capacity Strengthening unit.
“We really look forward to continue to co-create and progress TDR’s research capacity strengthening initiatives and the catalytic activities that we can undertake to support women to reach their full potential in terms of scientific leadership,” said Dr Thorson.
For more information, please contact Dr Anna Thorson or Dr Mihai Mihut.