In December 2023, more than 80 professionals gathered together from across the African continent for an in-person workshop to formally establish the Women’s Network for the Global Partnership’s Signature Initiative to Mitigate Biological Threats in Africa. Hosted by the International Federation of Biosafety Associations’ Equity-Focused Coordinating Committee on the margins of the African Society for Laboratory Medicine’s biennial conference, the workshop’s objectives included establishing the Network’s priority activities, defining its key stakeholders, as well as its formal structure. Participants identified 4 priorities as essential for gender equity and robust engagement of local women champions towards sustainable health security in Africa:
- Priority 1 – Robust Advocacy for Women’s Meaningful Participation in Regional and Global Health Security
- Priority 2 – Targeted Support for Women and Girls Entering the Health Security Workforce
- Priority 3 – Cultivation of African Women Leadership in Biosafety and Biosecurity
- Priority 4 – Measuring Progress in Implementing Network Activities
Click here to read the “Workshop Outcomes – Establishment of the Global Partnership’s Women’s Network to Mitigate Biological Threats in Africa“
Click to read the workshop outcomes in Arabic, French, Kiswahili, and Spanish languages.
The IFBA is grateful to the Weapons Threat Reduction Program, Global Affairs Canada, for their funding support towards this project.
