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2-day workshop on GEII held in Accra
A two-day training workshop on Gender Equality, Inclusivity, and Intersectionality (GEII) has being held in Accra.
The training aimed to equip stakeholders with tools to break these barriers and create an open, diverse, and equitable research environment.
The workshop focused on training participants to recognise unconscious biases, adopt gender-sensitive research methods, and ensure inclusivity in research teams.
The Director of Research, Statistics, and Information Management at the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology (MEST), Mr Cephas Adjei Mensah, emphasised that gender considerations should not be treated as side issues but should be central to research and policy-making.
He noted that Ghana’s progress in science, technology, and innovation (STI) depends on ensuring that diverse perspectives were represented.
Mr Mensah stressed that persistent gender gaps in research and evaluation hinder innovation and equitable development.
He said current Gender Equality and Inclusivity (GEI) Project, running from 2023 to 2025, aims to enhance women’s roles in research, expand inclusivity beyond gender, and integrate GEI principles into research design.
“A key aspect of the training was to build the capacity of evaluators to assess research proposals with a gender and inclusivity lens,” he said.
Dr Wilhemina Quaye, Director of CSIR-STEPRI, highlighted the critical funding challenges in research and development in Ghana.
She noted that while the government was supposed to allocate at least one per cent of GDP to research, the current figure stands at only 0.3 per cent.
“This funding gap affects both research institutions and academic bodies, making external support from initiatives like SGCI crucial,” she said.
She emphasized that research is not just about creating knowledge but about engaging with society to find solutions to real-world problems.
Dr Quaye also stressed the importance of science communication, urging the media to help disseminate research findings.
She pointed out that science must not remain in institutions but should be shared with industry players, civil society, and the public to ensure that research innovations are applied in everyday life.
Dr Quaye emphasized that intergenerational knowledge transfer is essential, as the expertise of experienced researchers must not be lost when they retire.
“The integration of young people, women, and underrepresented groups into research teams was identified as a key step towards sustainable development,” she explained
Participants expressed their commitment to integrating GEI principles into their work and ensuring that scientific research in Ghana benefits all sectors of society.
By Agnes Opoku Sarpong