Women in Science in Africa, a Silent revolution
More than forty years ago, a woman, scientist and environmental activist, created the Green Belt movement to fight deforestation in her home region in Kenya. In 2004, this woman was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This was the first Nobel Prize ever awarded to an African woman. Her name was Wangari Maathai. 15 years later, more than 35 million trees have been planted throughout the African continent. And Wangari Maathai continues to inspire a whole new generation of women who are involved in science. Today, there her successors are all over the continent; pioneers charting new paths in the traditionally male dominated world of science. Dynamic and enterprising, these African women scientists are the new face of a modern Africa that is participating in the great upheavals of our societies. But in this competitive world, they are still under-represented. We followed three of them, respectively specialists in nanochemistry, molecular biology and astrophysics.
Who are these women? What obstacles did they have to overcome to reach the top of their game? What impact do they have on their community? Will they be able to find concrete solutions to the major challenges of the 21st century? And what if the Einstein of tomorrow were to be an African woman?
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