Posted on by sipokazinyeleka

A whole new meaning

Well, I was told that such things happen in research; I just never thought they really did. I’ve heard people’s testimonies of how things went wrong just before they reached the finish line and never for a moment thought “this is my story, this is my song” (singing). But it has happened to me, yes me.

I just heard that one of my chapters needs to be redone entirely. Needless to say, I was disappointed and frustrated but most of all anxious because of the initial deadlines I had set for myself…. It’s a horrifying realization that I have to almost start from scratch with this chapter, and it’s tempting to give up. Strangely, though, this experience is adding new meaning to some of the words I’ve carried with me through this PhD journey. So allow me to share with you my experience of these words.

Progress: It’s not necessarily ticking an item off the to-do list, although most of the time that is how I used to define my own progress.  Yes, the completion of a list does signify progress, but apparently where research is concerned, progress is a 3 (or 4!) dimensional shape whose structure keeps on endlessly changing. The fourth dimension (time) cannot be excluded from the construction of this shape because time allows me the opportunity to monitor my progress, be it in minutes, days or even months, which I must say keeps me on track. I thought I had this progress shape figured out — Alas! A different dimension is revealed to me almost all the time. For example, there are days I struggle writing a sentence, while other days I could easily write a paragraph or two, which taught me that that taking a break is making progress towards working effectively — that time when you CAN be at your most efficient.

Passion:  Defined as an intense desire or enthusiasm for something (for example a PhD… * wink *).  It can’t be faked. Which then led me to believe that passion is the true genesis of genius because it must withstand a lot of pressure and overcome disappointment, failure and — worst of all — confusion. So, yes, passion is more than just that intensity of feeling. Passion is resilient, never gives up and it is restless particularly near the desired end result. It ignites a fire within but can be dangerous at times, causing sleepless nights, adrenalin rush and sometimes making me believe that I’m invincible. One thing is for sure you can’t fight- it -off, no matter how hard you try. And ultimately, this double-edged sword is what you need to succeed, because it drives you when nothing else will.

Purpose: I don’t know if this is true only for me but I get a sense of fulfillment when I know that my “formalized curiosity” has the potential to make a difference, even if it’s just to one person ( that being me and of course my twin … because technically speaking we are the same person) . I have since discovered that purpose does not only serve the individual who must live his/her life to fulfill it. It’s just like how a candle must burn in order to give light to people. Nobody really knows how the candle feels, but because it gives off light we appreciate it and believe it loves fulfilling its purpose.

Even with passion, purpose and progress, staying true to my goal (the PhD!) is often horribly difficult, and I question my own sanity. But without these three P’s I know I will never get there.Fearless.jpg

Posted on by SAYAS

Born as a side-line

By: Guest-blogger Dorothy Ngila – @DorothyNgila  

 

I had worked at the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) for just over 4 years, when I had a light bulb moment during a side-line discussion at a global academies’ meeting on the social determinants of health. Somebody just casually asked whether we knew the numbers of women participating in academies of science, globally. Having been steeped in so much background information on women’s status as a scientific minority, I immediately knew that a survey of women’s participation in national science academies was probably a good idea.

I also knew from scholarly literature that hard evidence would tell this narrative differently, and perhaps contribute to change.

And so the survey that would collect, analyse and report on participation of women in science academies was born. The InterAcademy Partnership (formerly IAP: The Global Network of Science Academies), the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, the Women for Science Group of the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) and ASSAf endorsed the idea with IAP funding the project. Working together with Dr Nelius Boshoff, Stellenbosch University (the lead researcher on the project) we revised the terms of reference and began the arduous journey of contacting science academies, convincing them of the importance of this data. For a few academies it was easy to submit data in the format that we required it: number of women members, the total female membership, membership per discipline, women’s participation in the academy’s activities, women’s participation in academies’ governance… It was easy because they had already been collecting this type of data. For others, it was simply too much of an ask, and we never managed to get any information.

This process alone convinced me of the importance of the survey. How was this not a significant area of preoccupation for academies?

Fast forward to the analysis of the data we eventually received from 63 academies of science. I knew from the anecdotal information that the numbers were really low, but I was really shocked when it emerged that the global membership of women in science academies was only 12%. I expected the number to be low but not that low. However, I was elated to learn of the major strides that academies of science in Latin America have made in terms of women’s participation. The Cuban Academy of Sciences (27%) and the

Caribbean Academy of Sciences (26%) rank at the top, globally, in terms of female membership. Also our very own ASSAf ranks among the top five organisations as far as women membership is concerned (24%).

Of course the low numbers correlate to the current data on women’s representation in leadership, and in science leadership. Academies of science admit accomplished and well-established science leaders in their different scientific domains and nations to their membership. So, the data clearly mirrors the major global challenge we have in retaining women in science leadership.

And so what was the big lesson from the study? For me, it was the importance of data! Recent, accurate and reliable data. Gender equity and equality strategies, policies and plans must be informed by evidence.

The study recommends that academies must collect, analyse and report gender-disaggregated data on participation in activities, membership and governance. Gender-disaggregated data provides the opportunity for critical thinking on the status quo and better planning for the future. It is only when we are faced by the hard facts that we can start really acknowledging and addressing the problem.

This survey started as a side-note to a bigger conversation, and if a group of concerned, passionate and dedicated people within and around the academy movement did not run with the idea, we would not have baseline data that confirms what we have known for a long time… women are simply too few in science leadership! Many academies do now realise the importance of urgent action from their side to address gender equality and equity within their ranks. It is my hope that the survey results continue to trigger more conversations and actions amongst academies of science on their role in advocating for increased participation of women in the national systems of innovation they serve.  It can no longer be a mere side-note issue.