SERVIR program: Empowering women and girls in science in West Africa
The SERVIR Program in West Africa, a joint USAID-NASA initiative implemented by ICRISAT, is working to encourage more girls and women in Niger to pursue Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) fields for a more fair and prosperous society.
SERVIR has partnered with the Niger Network of Women in Science and Technology (RFSTN) to promote gender equality where girls in the West African nation have low school enrollment rates and are vastly underrepresented in scientific fields.
The RFSTN seeks to combat gender stereotypes and raise awareness among girls about the benefits of science and technology as career pathways.
Mamoudou Djibo, Minister of Higher Education and Research in Niger, emphasized the gender gap in science, stating that barely 33 percent of researchers are women and they receive less funding for their research compared to men.
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