Women In Science: Spotlight on 12 trailblazing African Women Scientists in Climate Change
Africa is teeming with unsung heroines in all sectors of life. Here, with a backgrounder, we highlight 12 female scientists providing the continent with relevant, timely and appropriate climate change solutions.
Their journeys can be connected back to 2013. This was when the African Climate Conference (ACC-2013) recommended rectifying the weaknesses of the continent’s responses in climate adaptation, mitigation and capacity building.
Entrenching the much neglected and under-represented gender issue as a central plank of Africa’s climate policy responses was a major win in facilitating climate action from the policy-making level to the grassroots.
In creating Climate Research for Development (CR4D), the question on gender parity was granted top priority status as women’s frontline role in leading continental grassroots responses to climate change has remained unrecognized.
It is for this reason that CR4D structured all its interventions with gender-inclusive lenses informed with the reality of involving African women as co-partners in the realization of the SDGs alongside Africa’s 2063 development agenda taking the lead to offer answers to troubling and sometimes catastrophic climate issues facing the continent.
“An overhaul of climate policy making was required to integrate gender equality that prioritizes access, participation and inclusion of women and girls in the climate change discourse as gender inequalities continue to exacerbate climate change vulnerabilities.” Keiso Matashane Marite of the ECA says adding:
“The limited engagement of women in climate information services and related climate change dialogues poses serious challenges in adapting sufficiently, and mitigating against climate change impacts and there is need for aggressive policy interventions.”
In June 2019, CR4D managed to disburse grants to the first cohort of 21 post-doctoral researchers from 11 African nations.
Apart from Dr Edem Mahu, among the 21 scholars, was an excellent pool of exceptional women leading in their respective scientific exploits, who we are excited to feature in this report.
By sheer merit, including a highly intensive and competitive process, they passed rigorous interviews to join the strong team of 21 post-doctoral scholars offering cutting-edge solutions, and groundbreaking practical insights to redress climate knowledge gaps in Africa.
Each of the 11 women secured grants offered by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and managed by the Africa Climate Policy Center (ACPC) and the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) – amounting to between $100,000 to $130,000 to conduct special studies for an initial period of 12 months focusing on foundational climate science, climate change impacts, policy scenarios, and advocacy alongside knowledge frontiers.
However owing to the emerging challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the research period was extended to 18 months to allow for adequate in-depth engagement and interrogation of the issues under investigation.
“We have been fighting to have African-driven, African-owned and African-informed studies.” Mithika Mwenda who leads the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and serves as chair of the CR4D’s Institutional Collaborative Platform (ICP) says.
“This research cohort has produced the first African climate story. And we should build on it.”
The emerging studies conducted under the CR4D banner initiative are already playing a critical role in mobilizing African climate researchers around a unified research agenda to address priority needs confronting policy makers and vulnerable communities in Africa. Additionally the findings are also enhancing and amplifying the capacities of young African climate scientists through cross-regional exchanges, fellowships and internships.
The women we feature here, now act as beacons of the continental mandate accorded to the CR4D to promote user-driven, co-generated applied climate research that explores avenues and best practices to address the gap between climate science, services and policy.
The initiative facilitates and strengthens interactions between scientists and decision makers, thereby improving the quality, access, and usability of actionable climate information, knowledge and services for different socio-economic sectors.
These women scholars are among the best minds in Africa producing quality and relevant data, and creating innovations that address health and developmental challenges on the continent and globally.
When the inaugural cohort of 21 African post-doctoral researchers under the aegis of CR4D presented their pioneering findings, in the final week of June 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya, it was a special moment of pride for CR4D family and partners.
“The research findings are a new chapter that boosts the understanding and appreciation of climate change and development in Africa and needs to reach key decision-makers for continuity and replication,” says Ken De Souza of the FCDO.
The research findings charted a continent’s bold path and signalled a new dawn for Africa’s climate research for development.
Meet Dr Stella Kabiri-Marial, Dr Mary-Jane Bopape, Dr Marthe Montcho, Rondrotiana Barimalala, Dr N`Datchoh Evelyne Toure, Dr Olga Laiza Kupika, Dr Dimphna Ezikanyi, Dr Eleni Abraham Yitbarek, Dr Ariane Amin, Dr Jessica Paula Thorn, Dr Madaka Tumbo and Dr Edem Mahu.
