At the Girls In Science exhibition organized by the Embassy of France and Insitut Francais, Nigeria, the concentrate is on highlighting girls in science, but the message centers on fostering digital access for girls to thrive in Science, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).  

The exhibition chronicles ten female scientists, 5 French scientists, and 5 African scientists, one particular from Nigeria, in recognition of the substantial discoveries and investigation girls have contributed to the field of science more than the years. 

It is in line with the United Nations 2023 theme for International Women’s Day, DigitALL Innovation and Technologies for Gender Equality. 

Girls In Science is a reminder that although there appears to be a low presence of girls in worldwide science, there are far more of girls sciences than we believed of, and even African girls scientists. Therefore, the need to have to highlight them. There is Lesotho’s Tebello Nyokong contribution to nanotechnology and photochemotherapy which paved the way for safer cancer detection and therapy, an option that kills cancer cells in the physique with out damaging other cells. Kenya’s Wangari Muta Maathai, founded the Green Belt movement, the biggest movement against deforestation that helped plant more than 50 million trees, and fight for humans’ rights and in unique girls rights. 

Madagascan, Zara Randriamanakoto co-founded the Malagasy Astronomy and Space Science association to market astronomy amongst young students, and the worldwide movement Ikala STEM that rallies about 300 girls scientists across 4 continents that inspire girls and girls to a profession in science. She is one particular of the two female astrophysicists in Madagascar, and is at present investigating the formation, evolution and disruption mechanisms of enormous star clusters. Francine Ntoumi worked to stop the spread of illnesses like Ebola, top a project for the EU to fight the Ebola virus epidemic. She also began the project to encourage young girls to study sciences named Femmes &amp Sciences. Ultimately, Nigeria’s Ekanem Nkpi Braide credited with the eradication of guinea worm in Nigeria. Braide is also the existing and initial female president of the Nigerian Academy of Science considering that its establishment in 1944. All ten girls received worldwide science awards for the contributions to science.

In reality, a 16-year-old Nigerian girl, Faith Odunsi final year (2021), became the globe mathematics champion, right after she won the Worldwide Open Mathematics Tournament.  

Having said that, in Africa, and particularly Nigeria, the quantity of Africa girls in science is not translating to an improved quantity of girls in science. This is for a quantity of factors, the lack of access to education, inadequate access standard science education and infrastructure, as properly as low access to digital technologies.

Therefore, TECH HER’s CEO, Chioma Agwuegbo’s challenge to the exhibition’s attendees to assistance enhancement of women’s/girls’ access to DigiTech. 

“There can’t be digital innovation with out access. There can’t be digital innovation with out infrastructure. My organization runs a digital inclusive project that has so far reached 19 schools in peri-urban communities in Abuja. In some of these schools, the young children sit on the floor. some of these schools are not connected to the national grid. 

“I want to enjoin just about every one particular of right here right now, just about every time you appear at the photos, feel of the sensible, sustainable techniques we can engage and shift the needle on access. Feel of sustainable, sensible and revolutionary techniques, we can engage with our partners, be it regional or international to make certain that we have far more girls in classrooms who are secure, beyond signing treaties and signing of partnerships.”

In her message to young Nigerian girls, the French Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Emmanuelle Blatmann, reassured them they can be something they want to be in the field of science, regardless of naysayers who might claim it is a field for the opposite sex. “You can thrive in the what ever sector you want. It is not since you are a lady that you can’t do it. Every little thing is for you.”

To girls everywhere she urged to go into politics. “My only regret is the pretty smaller quantity of girls in politics. I feel it is significant this adjust more than the years. I know some girls do not want to go into politics since it can be a difficult sector. But, if you seriously want to adjust items, we need to have girls who want to go into politics. We also need to have males who are He for Shes that are believers in girls and are prepared to assistance them,” concluded Blatmann.