Ms. Kezzy Besa, a One Planet Learning Partner from Zambia, displays her Purpose RoadMap during the One Planet Fellowship Launch, Networking, and Training Week held from March 24-30, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya

Women are underrepresented in leadership positions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Part of this arises from the low uptake of STEM subjects by young girls in school, consequently leading to the underrepresentation of women in science careers. UNESCO estimates that only 33% of researchers are women.

Dr. Susan Kaaria, Director of African Women in Agricultural Research for Development (AWARD), participated as a panelist at the “(More) Women in Research” during the Science Engagement Days 2024, organized by the Danida Fellowship Center and the Training Centre for Development Cooperation (MS TCDC) in Arusha, Tanzania.

Dr. Kaaria reflected on how AWARD employs mentoring and the development of Purpose Roadmaps as tools to increase the number of women in the science field and equip them with the required skills to navigate their careers and progress into leadership roles in STEM fields.

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Watch her interview with Dr. Lea Pao Tore, Stakeholder Engagement Lead for Target Malaria Burkina Faso and Scientific Researcher at Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (Burkina Faso).