From Policy to Practice: African Science Granting Councils Champion Gender Equality and Inclusivity

As International Women’s History Month 2025 concludes, we reflect on the growing visibility and influence of gender and diversity considerations in science. While challenges persist, significant strides have been made in advancing gender equity across the research landscape. For nearly a decade, the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) in Sub-Saharan Africa has partnered with public research funders to address key challenges in science funding.

Science Granting Councils (SGCs) play a pivotal role in national innovation systems. Their influence extends to advancing gender equality and inclusivity (GEI) by embedding GEI principles into the research funding lifecycle. These efforts not only align with Sustainable Development Goal 5 but also improve research relevance, scientific excellence, and policy responsiveness. Incorporating GEI strengthens the international credibility of SGCs, positioning them as preferred partners of choice in the African science ecosystem.

The SGCI’s GEI journey began in 2016, following an internal review of its first annual report and the release of the Global Research Council’s (GRC) Statement of Principles and Actions Promoting the Equality and Status of Women in Research. This convergence of internal reflection and global dialogue catalysed a deeper commitment to mainstreaming gender in SGCI’s capacity-strengthening work.

In 2020, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) of South Africa was selected as the Collaborating Technical Agency (CTA) to lead GEI implementation. The HSRC partnered with organisations such as Gender at Work, Portia, the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), and Jive Media Africa.

Rather than duplicating existing efforts, the SGCI focused on identifying gaps. A key milestone was the 2018 adoption of the SGCI Gender Mainstreaming Framework and Action Plan, offering flexible guidelines for integrating GEI into council operations.

Phase 1 (2020–2023): Gender and Inclusivity Project This phase supported councils in three core areas:

• Increasing women’s participation in research.
• Reforming institutional policies to address barriers to women’s advancement and leadership in research.
• Integrating sex, gender, and diversity analysis into research to enhance innovation and quality.

Early engagements revealed a limited understanding of intersectionality among SGCs. In 2019, with support from the NRF and the German Research Foundation (DFG), the HSRC launched a project to explore how intersectionality could inform research funding practices. The study assessed the extent to which intersectional frameworks were embedded in grant-making, human capital development, and research cycles. Its recommendations were integrated in the SGCI capacity strengthening activities.

Thirteen councils (Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) participated in Phase 1, engaging in an action-learning process to address the question: What will it take for science granting councils to develop and implement GEI-related policies? The councils collaborated through adaptive, peer-based activities that fostered context-specific, actionable strategies and ownership of change.

Phase 2 (2023–2025): Gender Equality and Inclusivity Project This phase continues to support councils across three interlinked areas:

• Promoting the equality and status of women in research.
• Expanding GEI considerations beyond gender to include broader diversity and inclusivity.
• Embedding GEI in research content, design, and teams.

In 2023, the HSRC intensified its support, working with councils to explore practical entry points for integrating GEI into grant-making. These discussions highlighted the need for country-specific evidence to identify key gaps: Is the challenge conceptual, procedural, or skills-based?

To address this, the SGCI commissioned the HSRC to work closely with councils to identify their evidence needs. A joint call led to 12 councils receiving funding for national GEI integration projects. The process was deeply collaborative: councils developed and refined calls for research, trained peer reviewers to assess GEI elements, and reviewed each other’s proposals. Focus areas included research content, design, and team composition. Inter-council collaboration allowed for shared learning and the identification of joint activities and synergies.

“This process has been a learning moment. It requires acknowledging differences across people, councils, and countries. A seed has been planted. We are committed to nurturing it through existing mechanisms and partnerships to better fulfil our mandates, making science, technology, and innovation more inclusive and gender-responsive,” said one of the GEI SGC champions.

From Awareness to Transformation

Mainstreaming GEI in science funding is not solely a policy exercise—it requires paradigm shifts at individual, institutional, and systemic levels. GEI work must contend with entrenched power structures and sociocultural norms, including those around gender identity and sexual orientation.

The HSRC’s approach has been grounded in dialogue and contextual engagement, working with councils to develop nuanced understandings of GEI. A gender and development approach has taken root that recognises excluding women from science limits innovation and progress toward national development goals.

This transformation is long-term and incremental. Change begins with individuals who become GEI champions within their institutions. These champions, supported by the SGCI network, drive policy and cultural shifts. Increasingly, SGCs are partnering with universities and other research actors to build more inclusive research ecosystems.

The long-term partnership with the HSRC has enabled deep reflection and iterative learning. Collaborations with experts from Portia, the Wellcome Trust, and others have also enhanced the initiative’s reach and impact. These partners have created platforms for SGCs to showcase their work, such as the Gender Summit Africa (2023) and engagements with the Global Research Council (GRC), where several councils contribute to the EDI Working Group.

Insights and lessons from this work will inform the development of a flexible, context-sensitive framework and toolkit for future GEI integration efforts.

Reference Lynch, I., Middleton, L. E., Essop, R., Fluks, L., Isaacs, N., & Van Rooyen, H. (2023). Embedding gender transformation in science, technology and innovation in context: Emerging priorities and practices of African Science Granting Councils. HSRC.