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As Africa faces numerous developmental, unemployment, and health challenges that hinder its progress toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), women often bear the brunt. Only 30% of academic professionals in Africa are women, a statistic that contributes to the continent’s slow progress. Addressing this issue at the recent UN Women in Science Dialogue, hosted by AAP, Teresa highlighted essential steps to dismantle barriers for women in science. She underscored the importance of increasing visibility for women, ensuring institutional accountability, and creating sustainable programs that empower and support women in science. Despite decades of global efforts to promote gender equality, the world continues to face significant challenges in advancing women into leadership roles and providing equal access to opportunities, particularly in science and technology. Patriarchal structures often still shape decisions made behind closed doors, in interviews, and within boardrooms, subtly reinforcing biases that prevent many women from rising to their full potential. Even in countries that have made notable strides in this area, a pervasive glass ceiling remains—a barrier that limits women’s progression to the highest levels of leadership and restricts access to decision-making spaces traditionally dominated by men. The situation is even more challenging for women in Africa, particularly those pursuing careers in science. While the continent is home to a rich pool of talent, cultural norms and systemic barriers often make it more difficult for women to break through in fields traditionally dominated by men. In sub-Saharan Africa, women make up only 30% of the research workforce, and even fewer hold leadership roles in scientific institutions. This imbalance is further exacerbated by limited access to quality education, lack of mentorship, and societal expectations around gender roles, which disproportionately affect women, especially in rural areas. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Gender Gap Report, while some progress has been made, it will still take an estimated 131 years to close the global gender gap at the current pace of change. In science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the disparity is even more stark. In Africa, female representation in STEM leadership remains low despite the critical role that women scientists play in addressing the continent’s pressing challenges, from healthcare to climate change. The glass ceiling for African women in science is often much thicker and more complex, as they face not only professional biases but also deeply ingrained cultural and societal barriers. Despite these hurdles, many African women have risen to make groundbreaking contributions in science, yet their stories often go untold, and the systemic issues they face persist largely unchanged. As I addressed the 79th UN General Assembly Science Summit on the topic of “Advancing the Role of Women in Science for Sustainable Development in Africa,” I underscored the need to break down barriers and empower women to lead. I believe the way forward is clear: we must make women visible, viable, and valuable in science. Let me explain why these three principles are essential to advancing gender equality and ensuring a more sustainable future for global science. Visibility: A Global Call to Action  First and foremost, women must be made visible. We cannot be content with merely having women present in scientific fields—we need women to be seen in leadership roles, on boards, in governance, and making economic decisions that shape the future of our world. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 5 calls for achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, but progress is slow. Women must be included at every level of decision-making, from academia to industry, from policy to practice. Visibility also means safety. Women cannot be expected to thrive if they are not secure in their environments—whether that’s in the lab or in the broader societal context. In regions impacted by conflict or disaster, such as the flood-ravaged areas of Pakistan or war-torn zones in Africa, institutional resilience and support for women are more important than ever. We must create pathways for women to participate, even in the most difficult of circumstances, through technology, mentorship, and policy reforms. From remote parts of Africa to the most elite scientific institutions, we need to make women visible in ways that inspire confidence and foster success. Viability: Institutional Responsibility  While global initiatives are vital, I firmly believe that the real work begins at home. Higher education institutions have a critical role to play in ensuring women are viable throughout their scientific careers. Sadly, women continue to be the missing link in academia. In the United States, for example, women make up over 50% of life sciences doctorate earners but account for only 26% of full professors. In Africa, the numbers are even starker. In Nigeria, for instance, there are just 1,800 female faculty members out of a total of 11,877 professors. This is unacceptable, and universities must take responsibility for fixing it. We need to interrupt biased processes in recruitment, hiring, and promotion. We need to create inclusive environments where women can flourish. At Michigan State University (MSU), we’ve implemented specific programs designed to lower barriers for women and scholars from diverse backgrounds. For example, our professoriate program provides central support for faculty in any department, ensuring that women and other underrepresented groups are not left behind in their career trajectories. We’ve also partnered with the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) to invest in African women scientists. Our African Futures program focuses on strengthening the research capacity of early-career African women scholars, providing them with the resources, mentorship, and institutional support they need to succeed. These kinds of targeted interventions are crucial to ensuring that women remain viable throughout their careers, contributing to the scientific community and leading the next generation of discoveries. Value: Sustaining Women in Leadership  Finally, we must recognize the value women bring to science and leadership, and we must act to sustain that value over time. The attrition of women in the sciences is a failure that we cannot afford. Women face unique challenges that can lead to burnout and career drop-off, from work-life balance struggles to gender bias in salary and funding allocations. I’ve seen these disparities firsthand. In my research, I found that women received $25,000 less than their male counterparts in their first NIH grants—a gap that can have lasting impacts on their careers. Institutions must take proactive steps to address these inequities. At MSU, we conducted a salary equity study during my first year as Provost, and we’ve made adjustments to ensure women are compensated fairly for their work. But salary is just one part of the equation. We must also invest in programs that support women throughout their careers, from mentoring young girls to ensuring women have the resources they need to thrive in senior leadership roles. Creating value means ensuring that women in science have the opportunities, resources, and support to lead, mentor, and inspire others. This is not just about gender equity—it’s about advancing science. A diverse and inclusive scientific community is essential to driving innovation and addressing the global challenges we face, from climate change to healthcare crises. A Call to Action  The time to act is now. Higher education leaders, policymakers, and scientists alike must commit to making women visible, viable, and valuable in science. The future of science depends on it, and more importantly, the future of our world depends on it. As I said at the UN General Assembly, “Science needs us all, but more importantly—the future needs us all.” We must work together to break the barriers that hold women back and ensure that they have the tools they need to lead us into the future.  Read more