OWSD National Chapter established in Benin
July 29, 2021
The 41st National Chapter of OWSD was established in Benin in July 2021. The National Chapter is the 16th in Sub-Saharan Africa, which has the largest number of National Chapters of any OWSD region, and the 4th in West Africa (there are existing National Chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal). The Benin National Chapter is hosted at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Cotonou.
The first Executive Committee of the National Chapter is formed by:
"The Benin National Chapter will serve as a national platform to fill the gap that exists between the numbers of women and men who are engaged in STEAM fields," said the National Chapter's Executive Committee. "We will promote and strengthen collaborations and networking between all the members and other Benin women across the country and abroad. The National Chapter will also promote the visibility of OWSD programmes and activities at the local level."
The National Chapter intends to provide mentoring for women and girls in STEAM, to promote research collaborations between Beninese women locally and abroad, and to organize workshops, trainings, and other other activities to improve Beninese women's participation and knowledge in scientific careers, as well as supporting national initiatives that empower Beninese women scientists.
At the time of establishment, OWSD had 67 members in the Benin National Chapter. Women scientists from or living in Benin who are not already members of OWSD can become members here. Members who are interested in joining the National Chapter are invited to contact owsd.benin [at] gmail.com.
