With ongoing concern about the low numbers of women in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and in the wake of the #MeToo movement, there is a growing momentum to pay attention to the low numbers and poor experiences of women in science.

The second Global Forum on Women in Scientific Research (GoFoWiSeR) was held on July 18 and 19, 2019 in Dakar, Senegal. It brought together more than 300 participants including leaders of research institutions, research funders, female scientists and other stakeholders, to discuss the trends and strategies toward increasing women’s numbers and experiences in STEM. The Dakar GoFoWiSeR convening provided valuable opportunity to catalyze new connections and strengthen the network of actors and advocates working to increase the numbers and improve the experiences of women in scientific research.

GoFoWiSeR 2019 was supported by a consortium led by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) and included The African Academy of Sciences (The AAS), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the UK Department of International Development (DFID) the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund of the Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET), Canada’s International Development Research Centre, and South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF).