Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director at The African Research Academies for Women Inc. - Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States
The African Research Academies for Women (ARA-W) is an organization aimed at expanding opportunities for African women interested in the field of science. It seeks, for the first time, to enable University women, who are pursuing the sciences to be introduced to the world of research and enrich their love for science. ARA-W recognizes a lack of scientific research opportunities for women in the African Continent due to sociocultural influences and the marginalization of women. Yet, it is also evident that in order to transition to a "developed continent" standing, it is necessary to advance the scientific aptitude of the continent—which can be achieved through increased scientific research opportunities for women. Thus, ARA-W hopes to bridge the gender gap between male and female Scientists, while stimulating an interest in STEM education among women in Africa. And hopefully, through the sustenance of that interest, Africa can also produce excellent female scientists such as Nobel Laureates, Frances-Barre (who discovered the HIV virus) and Marie Currie (an acclaimed physicist and chemist). We trust that opening the world of research to women will enable the continent to produce scientists who can compete with their colleagues at both the domestic and international front. Through this organization, we hope to empower women, who could in return, fuel the economic transformation of the African Continent.