IDEA
Women In Africa (WiA)
ABOUT US
The Women in Africa initiative was founded within the Inspire, Develop, Empower, and Advance (IDEA) committee of IEEE’s Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) to champion African women’s involvement and leadership in geospatial careers.
Our Mission is to empower African women already disrupting geoscience and inspire youth to fearlessly shape the field’s future.
As part of the Women in Africa initiative, activities are organized to foster the professional development of African women in STEM. This includes webinars and networking opportunities for women across African countries who are studying and working in Geoscience and Remote Sensing. The aim is to develop and expand GRSS activities and membership among women in African countries who are learning and working in geosciences and remote sensing. We plan to assemble chapter launch materials and a support network for new chapters within this initiative.
Explore Our Initiatives
WiA WEBINAR SERIES
Career Development Webinars for Geoscience Students and Young Professionals
One of the major activities of the Women in Africa initiative is its Career Development Webinars for Geoscience Students and Young Professionals, which aim to spark interest in geosciences and remote sensing by showcasing opportunities across academia, industry, and government.
The webinars feature professionals sharing their career journeys and helpful resources to give attendees visibility into different career trajectories and opportunities for advancement to guide their paths. By reaching undergraduate and graduate students and early career scientists across Africa, the initiative encourages them to consider and pursue geoscience as a rewarding career choice despite regional challenges. It also facilitates connections and learning that are critical for the growth of this burgeoning community.
EPISODE 1 – JUNE 28, 2023
Title: Family and Career Life for Geospatial Folks
Speaker: Nancy Oduor, Leibniz Center for Tropical Research (ZMT) Germany
YouTube Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY-EqwfpJM
An insightful conversation led by speaker Nancy Oduor, mother of three children who shared wisdom from her journey navigating family responsibilities and her passion for marine biogeochemistry. This effort brought together historically underrepresented African women and young professionals across academia, government, and industry for Career Development Webinars. Hers inspiring stories and practical wisdom shared will undoubtedly empower more African women to pursue their passions in the geospatial and geoscience communities boldly.
EPISODE 2 – SEPTEMBER 19, 2023
Title: Fall Armyworm Monitoring and Early Warning System (FAMEWS)
Speaker: Maria Luisa Buchaillot, Institute of BioEconomy National Research Council of Italy, Italy.
Tropical Research (ZMT) Germany
YouTube Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY-EqwfpJMk
Maria Luisa emphasized that the FAW has devastated maize crops across Africa since 2016, critically impacting food supply stability. However, rapid detection of emerging infestations can dramatically improve containment and treatment response times. This is where FAMEWS comes in – through analysis of vegetation health data from the Sentinel 2 satellites, the FAMEWS algorithms can detect decreasing greenness that indicates FAW attacks on maize. The discussion was a very insightful discussion on remote sensing technologies being deployed to combat food insecurity specifically to detect fall armyworm infestations and protect vulnerable smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
EPISODE 3 – NOVEMBER 14, 2023
Title: Don’t Be Afraid to Reach for the Stars
Speaker: Heather McNairn, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada
YouTube Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY-EqwfpJMk
Dr. McNairn drew upon over 30 years of groundbreaking research leveraging Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to monitor agroecosystems from space. Beyond an overview of her illustrious career advancing SAR applications. She emphasized that ambition paired with passion and perseverance can spark personal and scientific transformational growth. Her story inspired WiA attendees to embrace their talents and “reach for the stars” to pursue geoscience advances that uplift vulnerable communities across Africa and beyond. Indeed, the WiA community can blaze trails into an equitably brighter future by boldly supporting each other’s dreams.
