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Mawazo Ideas Podcast
The Mawazo Ideas Podcast gives a public platform to Africans who are making an impact with their Big Ideas. In five seasons of the podcast, we have featured interviews with African experts in science and policy. We discuss their science journeys, climate change mitigation and conservation, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent.
In Season 6 of our podcast, we delve into the experiences of African women in research through six compelling episodes. We explore why these women choose to pursue a PhD, the dynamics of research mobility, and how they secure funding for their studies. Additionally, we examine the challenges of studying in politically unstable regions, the crucial role of community support, and the unique obstacles they face—from gendered issues and Black tax to balancing work and personal life. Join us as we uncover the diverse realities and inspiring journeys of African women scholars.
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Mawazo Ideas Podcast
A Woman's Journey into the Research Realm
This season of the Mawazo Ideas Podcast, we are exploring the Realities of African Women in Research. Join us as we dive into what it truly means to pursue a PhD on the continent on as an African woman.
For the first episode of the season, we will follow an African woman's journey into the research realm. African women only account for 31.5 percent of the researchers on the continent, yet an increase from 30.9 per cent in 2011 (UNESCO, 2024) has continued to inspire more women to pursue doctoral degrees. What really are the motivations for African women to study for a PhD? Listen in as we hear from our alumni on the application process, challenges and anxieties experienced, dealing with supervisors and post-PhD plans.
Further Reading:
Amutabi, M. N. (2018). Social and Political Obstacles in Pursuing PhD Degree in Africa: Interrogating the Problem of Gatekeepers and Structural Obstacles. Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies. 2 (1), 2018: 126 – 146.
Haynes, C. et al. (2012) ‘My World is not my doctoral program…or is it?: Female students’ perceptions of well-being’, International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 7, pp. 001–017. doi:10.28945/1555.
Levecque, K. et al. (2017) ‘Work Organization and Mental Health Problems in Phd students’, Research Policy, 46(4), pp. 868–879. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2017.02.008.
Platt, J., & Schaefer, C. (1995). Clinical Psychology Students’ Subjective Stress Ratings during Their Doctoral Training. Psychological Reports, 76(3), 994-994. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1995.76.3.994
Sekas, G; Wile, M Z. Stress-related illnesses and sources of stress: comparing M.D.-Ph.D., M.D., and Ph.D. students. Journal of Medical Education 55(5):p 440-6, May 1980.
The gender gap in science: status and trends, February 2024. UNESCO