Women for Africa
Promoting exchanges and networks among women scientists.
December 23, 2016
The Women for Africa Foundation, through the program “Ellas Investigan” (Science by Women) supports and makes visible the work of African women researchers, promoting their presence and prestige in the international scientific community and providing a link for exchanges and networks among women scientists. ICFO is a member of the Scientific Committee for this initiative.
This landmark program was recently reviewed in the framework of the 2nd Women, Science, Technology and Innovation in Africa Conference, a meeting that also discussed the research situation of women in Europe and Africa.
The event was moderated by UNESCO Professor of Gender Equality in Science, Technology and Innovation, Inés Sánchez de Madariaga. In attendance were Isabelle Vernos, Chair of the working group on gender equality at the European Research Council; Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli, Vice-President for Research, Cooperation and Partnership of the Mohammed V-Agdal University; Coumba Niang, beneficiary of the “Ellas Investigan” program at ICMAT and Olouwafémi Mistourath Mama, beneficiary of the FMxA Scholarship program at the University of Rioja.
During the discussion, it became clear that, despite the country of origin, women throughout the world continue to face common difficulties in developing a career in research. As equality is the main motor of progress for societies, as in the world of science, the importance of continuing to fight gender discrimination was evident.
Maria Teresa Fernández, President of the Women for Africa Foundation, highlighted the extraordinary potential of the African researchers, and announced that in the second call for “Ellas Investigan”, there were 46 candidates from 17 countries, an increase of 50% over the first edition. Eight researchers have been selected to join the Spanish centers that collaborate in the program in 2017.
In the first edition of the “Ellas Investigan” program in 2016, eight other senior scientists were selected to spend sabbatical stays of six months in Severo Ochoas research centers in Spain, where they are contributing their knowledge and experience to the existing expertise of those centers while they acquire new knowledge that will transmit in their respective surroundings of origin. Among these, Prof Mangaka Matoetoe (Lesotho) carried out her research at ICFO in the research group led by ICREA Prof at ICFO Romain Quidant, working on a project in nanobiosensors for determination of pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Prof Nosipho Moloto (South Africa) collaborated with the research group led by Prof. Gerasimos Konstantatos to work on a project on low cost solar cells.
This landmark program was recently reviewed in the framework of the 2nd Women, Science, Technology and Innovation in Africa Conference, a meeting that also discussed the research situation of women in Europe and Africa.
The event was moderated by UNESCO Professor of Gender Equality in Science, Technology and Innovation, Inés Sánchez de Madariaga. In attendance were Isabelle Vernos, Chair of the working group on gender equality at the European Research Council; Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli, Vice-President for Research, Cooperation and Partnership of the Mohammed V-Agdal University; Coumba Niang, beneficiary of the “Ellas Investigan” program at ICMAT and Olouwafémi Mistourath Mama, beneficiary of the FMxA Scholarship program at the University of Rioja.
During the discussion, it became clear that, despite the country of origin, women throughout the world continue to face common difficulties in developing a career in research. As equality is the main motor of progress for societies, as in the world of science, the importance of continuing to fight gender discrimination was evident.
Maria Teresa Fernández, President of the Women for Africa Foundation, highlighted the extraordinary potential of the African researchers, and announced that in the second call for “Ellas Investigan”, there were 46 candidates from 17 countries, an increase of 50% over the first edition. Eight researchers have been selected to join the Spanish centers that collaborate in the program in 2017.
In the first edition of the “Ellas Investigan” program in 2016, eight other senior scientists were selected to spend sabbatical stays of six months in Severo Ochoas research centers in Spain, where they are contributing their knowledge and experience to the existing expertise of those centers while they acquire new knowledge that will transmit in their respective surroundings of origin. Among these, Prof Mangaka Matoetoe (Lesotho) carried out her research at ICFO in the research group led by ICREA Prof at ICFO Romain Quidant, working on a project in nanobiosensors for determination of pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Prof Nosipho Moloto (South Africa) collaborated with the research group led by Prof. Gerasimos Konstantatos to work on a project on low cost solar cells.