Sub-Saharan Africa: spotlight on female scientists
While the scale of economic and demographic growth on the continent is unparalleled, African countries continue to face major challenges: climate disruption, poverty, unequal access to education and an increasing scarcity of natural resources. The L’Oréal Corporate Foundation supports female scientists in Africa so that they can contribute fully and on an equal footing to developing research-based solutions.
Just 2.4% of the world’s researchers are scientists from Africa, and of those, barely 30% are women . The number of female scientists in sub-Saharan Africa today is far from adequate, with marked disparities between countries. In West Africa, only 8% of research laboratories are led by women. This situation has arisen because of a lack of funding or inadequate resources, with a damaging impact on laboratories and the quality of research. Women, in particular, have to overcome specific obstacles, including the limited number of women in scientific occupations and the lack of role models, deeply rooted cultural traditions that limit them to certain roles and do not encourage girls to pursue studies in scientific fields, the difficulty of getting the right balance between study and family obligations, and the obstacles inherent in the academic system in science.
Two dedicated programmes in sub-Saharan Africa
Eleven exceptional female scientists and 129 talented young female doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, all from Africa, have been supported and showcased since the creation of the L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” International Award and the Young Talents programme specifically for sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2019, the foundation marked the programme’s 10th anniversary by strengthening its commitment and seeking to provide fairer support for all female researchers, wherever they are on the continent. Two separate programmes have been created: a national one, focusing on South Africa, and a regional one, covering the other 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to double the number of young female scientists recognised. In 2019, the initiative identified 20 talented young women from 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, all of whom are pioneering researchers in numerous scientific fields, from almost 400 applications. All of them were invited to Dakar in Senegal, to attend a leadership training session designed to equip them to pursue their careers more effectively, before celebrating their achievements at a special ceremony.
These actions by the L’Oréal Corporate Foundation are intended to contribute to the development of inclusive research in Africa, for Africa and led by Africans.
