Announcement
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October 17, 2025

OWSD Webinar: New National Data on Women in STEM

OWSD invites members and partners to join a webinar presenting a new tool for collecting national data on women in STEM (piloted in Bolivia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe)

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Data collected by OWSD Zimbabwe National Chapter in 2025 from a survey of 610 high/secondary school students from 10 provinces
Data collected by OWSD Zimbabwe National Chapter in 2025 from a survey of 610 high/secondary school students from 10 provinces
by 
OWSD

Date: Wednesday 22 October
Time: 17:00 - 18:00 (CET)
Link: Click here to access the OWSD Webinar Zoom

This session will unveil results from the OWSD–UNESCO Gender in STEM Research and Outreach Pilot Project, implemented in Bolivia, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. The project tested adaptable research tools designed to produce robust, comparable data on the participation of women in STEM fields, that directly link evidence to policy reform and advocacy.

The webinar will feature national chapter presentations showcasing country-specific insights, lessons learned, and examples of how data is informing policy change. Participants will hear from each country team about barriers and opportunities for women in STEM, and how this research framework can be replicated across other contexts.

Finally, the session will introduce the new IDRC-funded phase of the project, due to be launched at the OWSD General Assembly in Bogotà, Colombia in November, building on the pilot’s success to expand gender-responsive STEM research and policy engagement across additional countries.

Webinar Schedule

  • Welcome and framing (5 min) – Tonya Blowers, OWSD Coordinator
  • Methodology overview (10 min) – Alessandro Bello, OWSD M&E Consultant (Italy/ Belgium)
  • Country reflections + Q & A  (20 min) – Natalia Montellano Durán (Director of Biotechnology, Universidad Católica Boliviana – Santa Cruz, Bolivia);  Marie Sagesse Uwurukundo, Associate Director for Research and Community Services & Lecturer, Kepler College, University of Rwanda;  Blessing Magonziwa, Research Scientist (Soil Health and Biogeochemistry), University of Zimbabwe/ Affiliate, Colorado State University (USA)
  • Introducing the new UNESCO-OWSD-IDRC project (10 min) – Lora Gailly, Associate Project Officer, Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Section, UNESCO
  • Open discussion and Q&A (10 min)
  • Closing remarks (5 min) - Tonya Blowers

Join us to see how UNESCO-OWSD and IDRC are transforming data into action to advance gender equality in STEM worldwide.