Stakeholders urge inclusive growth through women participation in science

The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) yesterday advised political leaders and other stakeholders in Nigeria to put in place an enabling environment that will promote the participation of the girl-child and women in science-based endeavours.

The group gave the charge in Lagos on the occasion of the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, marked on February 11 yearly.

President of APWEN, Funmilola Ojelade, an engineer, who spoke on the theme, “Investment in Women and Girls in Science for Inclusive Green Growth,” said that day serves as a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology and that their participation should be strengthened.

“By the resolution of the United Nations (UN), the day is an opportunity to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls and further achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls,” she said.

Ojelade posited that science and gender equality are critical to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Five and Nine.

She said: “We celebrate the outstanding achievements of women and encourages more girls to consider engineering as a career. In a male-dominated space, there are unique women who, despite all odds against them, have made excellent achievements just as their male counterparts in various fields of the sciences. Some of these female scientists in Nigeria are Prof. Grace Alele-Williams, Ebele Okeke, Dr. Zainab Yunusa, Prof. Nneka Okeke and Dr. Eucharia Oluchi Nwaichi.”

She, therefore, urged the international community, states, and individuals to work together so that equality in sciences and other fields can finally become a reality as humanity has everything to gain and so does science.