Excluding women scientists from leadership is holding Africa back

A few years ago, a study on the quality of maternal health care in Zambia surfaced insights on the perceptions of care provided to pregnant women by midwives—from systemic shortcomings around access to quality and affordable care, to discriminatory attitudes that undermined trust and negatively impacted health seeking behaviors. 

The study was not just insightful based on the data it revealed; it also pointed to the crucial role played by women researchers in addressing complex health issues such as maternal mortality and morbidity. However, the reality of the study and the team behind it is that while women are driving critical discoveries in health in Africa, we rarely get the opportunity to shape the decisions that determine everything from funding to implementation. And our absence from decision-making rooms is not just unfair; it is costing Africa progress. 

Women make up  32% of researchers in sub‑Saharan Africa. But while we account for more than half of science graduates at bachelor’s level in sub-Saharan Africa, just 28% of women in research attain PhDs. In addition, globally, women hold only 25% of senior positions in health organizations, despite making up 70% of the health workforce.  

The cost is significant. When women in health are not supported, their contributions are less likely to shape policy; women’s health issues are more likely to be overlooked or underfunded, and younger women entering the health workforce see fewer examples of women’s leadership at the highest levels. And the inverse is true. 

For instance, at Senegal’s Institut Pasteur, Dr. Marie‑Angélique Sène’s team pioneered the continent’s first mRNA vaccine candidate for Rift Valley fever, a virus that can cause severe disease in both people and animals. This breakthrough represents a milestone in global health innovation, advancing Africa’s capacity for vaccine design and local manufacturing while strengthening epidemic preparedness.

In Zambia, Inonge Wina-Chinyama’s leadership at Marie Stopes expanded access to reproductive health services to thousands of women and girls. Her role on Zambia’s National Family Planning and Adolescent Technical Working Groups has helped shape national policy, ensuring that reproductive health services are integrated into public health systems and reach marginalized population. 

Her success is mirrored by that of Dr. Jane Mwamba Mumba, whose service in leadership roles in the Zambia Medical Association and the Ministry of Health’s technical committees have influenced national maternal health guidelines and workforce training standards, strengthening the country’s health system.

These stories represent what’s possible when women-led expertise is matched with decision-making authority. Yet these examples remain the exception rather than the rule. 

As women leaders in global health ourselves, we know this reality firsthand. Too many women in health—be they in research or other scientific fields—remain stuck in mid-level positions in their career journeys, our contributions celebrated but our influence curtailed. The result is a pipeline of   talent that never reaches its full potential. Africa cannot afford this waste.

Investing in women’s leadership is a long-term strategy for building resilient scientific and health systems in Africa. Initiatives such as the UNESCO–Equatorial Guinea Fellowship Programme, which awards US$ 25,000 in grants each year to young African women scientists, are helping to address the gender gaps in research funding and leadership. Fellowship recipients have already demonstrated the impact of this investment, for example, in Ghana Dr. Pearl Abu’s work on climate‑resilient, nutrient‑enriched maize is strengthening food and nutrition security, while in Burkina Faso, Dr. Tegwinde Rebeca Compaore’s research is advancing precision diagnostics for cancers linked to infectious diseases, improving early detection and treatment. These examples show how targeted support enables women’s participation in national scientific development, but they are not enough.

Closing the leadership gap requires more deliberate action. Strong women leaders in health research and other fields must be developed through intentional training and mentorship. Programs like WomenLift Health’s Leadership Journey demonstrate how targeted support can prepare women for senior roles, equipping them with the skills and networks to navigate leadership. Institutional structures must change too. Creating transparent pathways into leadership, dismantling bias, and championing inclusive cultures are not optional; they are essential if we are to transform the face of leadership in health research. 

We owe this to our continent. When women health leaders are visible, our voices be amplified, and our contributions recognized, institutions become more responsive and policies more inclusive.  We are not demanding to be rewarded simply for being women; we are asking that our work to be taken as seriously as the work of our male colleagues; for funding to flow to our projects; for inclusion in advisory roles and policy processes, and for our leadership to be accorded the respect it deserves. Addressing these gaps is not a concession; it is needed to build stronger, fairer health systems.

Including women in research leadership—and health leadership more broadly—is not charity; it is strategy. 

If we are intentional about building resilient and inclusive health systems, then we must start treating women scientists as both contributors and leaders. Our continent needs visionary women leaders in decision-making spaces. Our future depends on it.

Dr. Duduzile Ndwandwe is a Specialist Scientist, Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council and Rutendo Kandawasvika, Senior Technical Officer, Partnerships, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention