Empowering African women in science… from Lake of the Woods

BY SUMEEP BATH, EDITORIAL AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, IISD EXPERIMENTAL LAKES AREA

IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) recently teamed up with the scientists working on the African Great Lakes (AGL).

The AGL are highly valuable natural resources, renowned for their rich fisheries and "biodiversity hotspots." Consequently, they, and the ecosystem services they provide, underpin the welfare and livelihoods of over 50 million people across 10 countries.

That’s why IISD-ELA partnered with the African Center for Aquatic Research and Education—to come together and strengthen science on large freshwater resources and the countries in which we both reside.

There is just so much we have to teach and learn from each other.

It is an unfortunate reality that women have tended to be disenfranchised from work in the sciences. This is no different when it comes to working on the African Great Lakes. It’s only when women’s skillsets and perspectives are included that we can truly address critical issues for natural resources (such as those provided by the AGL) and those people whose lives depend on them.

With that in mind, we decided to launch an African Women in Science (AWIS) program.

AWIS is a transformative initiative for early-career African women scientists from the African Great Lakes region. The program aims to build capacity and offer mentorship opportunities for African women scientists who are actively engaged in African Great Lakes, and freshwater research.

Participants are currently in a ten-month cohort of 18 African women scientists structured as a learning and implementation community. This community supports and guides the next generation of African women scientists in catalyzing positive change in the African Great Lakes.

What does this look like?

Well, these female scientists from across the African Great Lakes region will have access to training (in skills such as leadership development and communication techniques); networking opportunities (such as taking part in international symposia related to their work); mentorship opportunities (allowing them to connect with senior scientists, peers and other experts for insights, advice and problem-solving related to research and careers), and to make international connections.

And it’s already started.

Due to the pandemic, the 2021 International Association of Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) conference was held virtually, which allowed more participants from across the planet to attend. This included female scientists working on the African Great Lakes who may not have otherwise been able to attend the conference, usually held in North America. It proved to be a useful and enjoyable experience all around, especially for the AWIS participants who were able to present and participate at IAGLR thanks to the support of the program.

But don’t take it from us; the following quotes from two of the participants underline what a valuable opportunity it was for them.

“It was inspiring listening to the different work being done by fellow AWIS members in their respective countries. I saw it as an opportunity for collaborative research among and between countries.” ~ Loziwe Njobvu Chilufya, Zambia, Lake Tanganyika

“During this conference, I was able to make contact with other scientists. The themes presented are, for me, a model and also a reference for my current research and presentations. And so, it was an opportunity for me to learn a few more things.” ~Joyeuse Mudagi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lake Kivu

While our work at IISD-ELA may seem locally focused, let’s not forget that we are the world’s freshwater laboratory. The science we conduct on these small 58 freshwater lakes (and their watersheds) has a massive impact on the rest of the world’s fresh water because freshwater bodies around the world—from Canada to Africa—have so much in common.

We are thrilled to be able to empower the next generation of freshwater scientists, on another continent, to help protect their critical freshwater supplies.

And of course, once international travel opens up a little more, we will be excited to welcome the participants to the IISD-ELA site so they can discover our unique approach to freshwater science firsthand, and so our scientists can learn from the science taking place across the pond.

To learn more visit iisd.org/awis.