Equity in science

Do you know that SGCI champions gender equity and inclusiveness in science?

The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) is driving gender equity and inclusiveness in science, technology, and innovation across Africa.

Through strategic collaborations, SGCI is making research environments more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Here’s how:

• Developing a gender equality and inclusivity policy framework – Establishing guidelines for integrating gender, diversity, and intersectionality in research teams, methodologies, and environments.
• Providing technical support – Assisting Science Granting Councils (SGCs) in embedding GEI considerations into grant-making and research management.
• Hosting ‘Reflections at the Intersections’ – A quarterly dialogue series exploring critical topics on gender and inclusivity in research.
• Advancing empirical research – Tackling gender gaps in science, technology, and innovation (STI) to create more inclusive research spaces.
• Driving global engagement – Co-hosting GEI sessions at SGCI annual forums, supporting participation in the Gender Summit, and contributing to the Global Research Council’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Working Group.

By fostering gender-responsive policies and research practices, SGCI is paving the way for a more inclusive and impactful STI ecosystem in Africa.

Would you like to know more?

Look at excerpts from some of the work SGCI has done on gender and inclusivity published on the website.

The article states that stronger policies and concrete actions are needed to ensure gender parity in science, technology, and innovation.

This gender equality initiative aims to develop the skills of women in Sub-Saharan Africa, in order to integrate gender issues into science, technology, and innovation.

“When we think about how gender and women’s inclusion issues are dealt with within science funding councils, we have to recognise that, when we first started working in science and research, [et] that we created the funding councils, they were set up mainly by men,” says Ingrid Lynch, lead investigator for gender and women’s inclusion for Initiative of Scientific Research Granting Agencies project within the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, South Africa.

“In addition, some of this heritage remains to this day.”

Lynch said IOSRS created the Gender and Women’s Inclusion Project to ensure that women can play a role in science in Africa.

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