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East African Women in Science: The Cream of the Crop
The Gender and Diversity Program (G&D) of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) announces winners of women’s science fellowships
On Wednesday July 12th, 2006 in Nairobi, the cream of East Africa’s women crop scientists were awarded the competitive CGIAR fellowships for career enhancement. Eleven outstanding women were selected as winners of the 2006 Fellowships for Enhancing the Careers of East African Women Crop Scientists. The program, just entering its second year, aims at increasing skills, visibility and contributions to science and development of women who work in crop science and biotechnology in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The program contributes directly to the Millennium Development Goal to promote gender equality and empower women.
Says new fellow Jane Nabawanuka-Oputa, a research officer from Uganda, “The voice of women farmers from rural areas is so important because they work closely with food production and they know the real problems. As women scientists it is our duty to listen to this voice and to work with them to make a difference.”
Ten of the fellowships are funded by The Rockefeller Foundation’s Africa Regional Program while one fellowship is sponsored by The Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Development for a private sector winner.
For each of the women selected, the fellowship offers an attractive two-year package aimed at strengthening their scientific and leadership skills. This includes funds to support presentation of their research at a major scientific conference each year, sponsorship to the renowned CGIAR Women’s Leadership Course and Negotiations skills training, and access to key resources via linkages to regional and global networks. Their scientific expertise is enhanced through monthly mentoring sessions with senior scientists in their fields. In the second year of the fellowship program, the winners will in turn mentor junior women scientists in their respective countries. By the end of this 2-year fellowship these women and their research will be well known, not only in the region but also worldwide.
The fellowship winners gathered together along with their mentors at a Mentoring Orientation Workshop held from 3-7 July in Mombasa, Kenya where they received intensive training on how to set goals for their careers. The workshop provided a special opportunity for them to network with six West African women scientists from the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science & Technology Fellows Program.
 Images- Mentoring Orientation Workshop, 3-7 July, Mombasa, Kenya
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