About AWFST

The African Women’s forum on Science and Technology (AWFST), an initiative within the ATPS Strategic Plan Phase VI 2008-2012 was launched to become a Pan-African network program, on the 17th of July at the Sun and Sand Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya. The aim of AWFST is to provide a vehicle through which African women can express their ideas, contribute their expertise and participate in policy and decisionmaking processes in Africa. The Interim Steering Committee (ISC) was inaugurated and is constituted of women leaders drawn from the various parts of Africa and the Diaspora and who are innovators in their respective fields. TheISC members elected Prof. Mwang’ombe, University of Nairobi as the Chair to besupported by Prof. Norah Olembo, BioTechnology Trust Africa (BTA) as theCo-Chair. The members resolved to provide governance and steer the operations of the AWFST forum which includes: producing publications and promotional materials on AWFST; creating awareness about women in Science Technology Innovation (STI); fundraising for the activities of AWFST; establishing are source library and website to enhance women’s access to international journals; developing a Programme of Action (PoA) for the AWFST; and providing the Terms of Reference (TOR), and oversight mechanisms for the inaugural Steering Committee. This agreement will hold until an inaugural election of the steering committee who will take over the operations henceforth. It was also agreed that all the operations of the AWFST would be done in liaison with the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS).