(February 05/2017) International Women’s and Girls’ Day was marked by a research conference titled “Women and Girls in Science, Research, Technology and Innovation”.

The State Minister for Higher Education Development, Ministry of Education, Honorable Ato Kora Tushune, stated that women and girls should be empowered and their skills developed in science, technology and innovation.

While there has been encouraging progress in the participation of women and girls in undergraduate education, he pointed out that the number of female students and researchers in postgraduate studies, especially in PhD studies, is low, and the problem is more pronounced in the technology and engineering sectors.

The Minister of State stated that the low participation and representation of women and girls in research in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) limits the potential for research and innovation, as well as research findings.

Therefore, it is necessary to invest in girls, support policies that promote gender equality in the workplace, solve their problems together, and carry out participatory and equitable activities to develop the educational, research and innovation skills of women and girls.

State Minister of Health, Dr. Dereje Duguma, for his part, stated that the International Day of Women and Girls has been celebrated at the global level with a focus on science, technology, innovation and research, and said that this is the first time that it is being celebrated at the Ethiopian level.

The Minister of Health stated that the Ministry of Health has been working on various policies and strategies to protect the health of the community, including women and girls, and noted that the fertility rate has been reduced over the past decade by focusing on women and girls.

UNESCO Representative Dr. Abdulai Salifu, who attended the event, noted that gender equality is a priority for UNESCO at the global level and said that the celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls will help advance gender equality and make it inclusive.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Esther Teshome, President of the Afla Girls Health Center, said that the goal of the association is to empower women in research, technology and innovation.

A strategy prepared by the Ministry of Education to increase the participation of female teachers in research and development in higher education institutions was presented and discussed at the conference.

The event was attended by State Minister of Women and Social Affairs, Ms. Hikma Keiredin, university presidents, research institutions, researchers, and other invited guests and participants.

Source: MoE