Honourable Minister Mayende-Sibiya
Distinguished Speakers
Guests
Representatives of the African Union and of SADC
Delegates
Ladies and gentlemen
I am pleased to have the opportunity to welcome you to this workshop. My congratulations to all involved in planning this meeting, and special congratulations to the authors of the baseline study, which will definitely shape much of the work that will flow from this meeting.
This workshop signals an extremely positive development, as it is part of work that all of us have to do if we are to ensure consistent attention to our objective of achieving gender equality in Africa. Women and policy makers need to ensure that the access and equality initiatives of our regions address access to all socio-economic sectors. This will ensure that we do not abandon the ambition of gender equality to 50 percent representation in legislative institutions.
The SADC region is possibly the most progressive of all African Union regions when measured in terms of civil and political rights. All our countries have acted on the decisions to open up legislatures and frame electoral laws to ensure representative parliaments. Recent reports indicate almost our entire legislatures have met or exceeded the 30 percent minimum representation requirement.
Women have voting rights, access to the courts and a range of protections that substantively alter their status in society. They also enjoy access to opportunities that were previously not available to them; education is a significant right in this regard. However, all of you gathered here know that despite the significant gains of the past few decades, a great deal more needs to be done. The areas of access to economic opportunities, business formation, and scarce skills participation for women lag far behind men.
The promotion of increased activity and investment in science, engineering and technology has been a subject of intense debate in Africa in the past eight years. The African Union and SADC have devoted time to developing African perspectives on this subject. In 2005 the African Union Ministers of Science and Technology adopted an action plan on science and technology. They agreed that Africa needs to accelerate progress in and expand investment in these key development sectors.
This development was closely linked to the African Union Education Ministers' adoption of an education ten year plan of action, which also highlighted the critical importance of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. Both action plans stress the centrality of gender equality.
It is important to remind ourselves that the low level of investment in science was a direct result of the decline of investment and donor interest in higher education in Africa. So, as we move to advance our strategies we must give attention to the state of higher education in our region.
SADC ministers have moved swiftly in response to the developments of 2005. We have a SADC protocol on science, technology and innovation and have established a science and technology office in the SADC secretariat. We have sought and I believe received support from the secretariat for our sector and our programmes.
This workshop must be seen as a continuum, as an important part of these developments. We are acting in response to all the protocols and conventions to ensure that as Africa and in particular SADC, we make advances and women are not left behind again. The SADC region has also taken a bold step by adopting the SADC protocol on gender.
All reports on women's participation in science and allied disciplines indicate that despite positive progress women lag behind males in a wide range of disciplines. More women have entered science faculties, but they tend to be in the life and health sciences and not in engineering, physical sciences, or information technologies. In addition, women tend to stop at the honours level and their numbers decline further at masters, doctoral and post doctoral levels.
Recent reports by the Women in Science Sub-Committee of the South African National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) indicated that more South African women are entering the sciences and proceeding to post graduate level. Not enough, but definitely more.
The study also examined women's access and performance on securing of large research contracts, publications in accredited journals, registration of patents and international collaboration. It reported that on most of these indicators women scientists are not achieving high levels of success. So the challenge is not just access it's also ensuring the skills to perform in all relevant aspects.
Reports such as the NACI reports as well as United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) reports and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) human development reports provide information that all of us should utilise to determine informed actions that must be initiated to reverse current negative trends.
Added to these reports of poor outcomes, attention should also be directed at the still low levels of science financing and innovation achievement in Africa and in SADC. We remain purchasers of science outcomes and importers of technology from all over the world.
Our first step should be to agree that this forum should become a regular part of our SADC calendar. We should review and monitor our progress systematically.
Second, strategies to encourage girls to study mathematics and science must be developed in all our countries. This should be linked to science based scholarships that will be introduced to schools as competitive open scholarships for talented students. Such support should extend to doctoral level to ensure we retain talent in our systems.
Third, experienced researchers should be encouraged to play the role of mentors and to assist young women scientists to write proposals for grants and papers for publication.
Fourth, governments must pay increased attention to resourcing research institutes and Science faculties in our universities to inculcate excellence and quality.
Fifth, SADC must form alliances with other regions and with the global science community to build an international network of women in science and technology collaboration.
In closing, let me wish you well in your deliberations and I look forward to receiving the workshop report and recommendations at the next SADC ministerial meeting on science and technology.
I thank you.
Contact:
Lunga Ngqengelele
Tel: 012 843 6802
Cell: 082 566 0446
E-mail: lunga.ngqengelele@gmail.com
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
19 April 2010
