Overview

At the core of the OWSD ecosystem is a feedback loop. Women scientists from developing countries share insights and experiences from their local contexts through OWSD membership forums and National Chapters. OWSD executive board regional representatives collect this rich information and report to the executive board meeting about specific and diverse challenges facing women in STEM around the world. 

The OWSD Secretariat processes the information, in consultation with the chapters and other partners, to create comprehensive reports and strategies and develop robust programmes and initiatives which positively impact women, science, and communities. 

Women recipients of OWSD programmes in turn spread the word, raise visibility and establish national chapters, which provide a source of information and engagement for incoming women scientists.

OWSD provides resources and training for women scientists in developing countries. These planted seeds grow into pioneering research projects that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, sustaining and enriching the scientific community.

The 57+ OWSD National Chapters identify and address the barriers that impede progress. This may involve collecting data on cultural, social, economic, political, and academic obstacles, as well as collaborating with families and educational institutions to dismantle these barriers. 

OWSD fosters diverse research environments. The countries eligible for OWSD funding often struggle even with attendance of girls in secondary school. By attracting and supporting women from these countries to participate in the design and implementation of scientific research at postgraduate level, OWSD fellowships mean that research topics are more varied and more relevant, making the programmes more resilient and ensuring their implementation. Furthermore, OWSD encourages collaboration between experts in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, ensuring that STEM research is both innovative and relevant.

OWSD also ensures resources and opportunities are accessible to all community members, welcoming LGBTQ+ members, women with disabilities, and displaced women. This inclusion provides platforms for these groups to voice their challenges and contributes to a resilient scientific community.

Visibility is the sunlight that allows the OWSD ecosystem to thrive. OWSD’s comunications and storytelling team highlight the achievements of women scientists, showcasing their work internationally. These visible role models from under-represented countries inspire the next generation and demonstrate the transformative power of women in STEM. OWSD also advocates for gender-transformative policies, working with academic institutions to support women in research and decision-making roles.

OWSD designs strategies to sustain resources for scientific excellence beyond initial support by training fellows to link with industry and fundraise, as well as improving their publishing, scientific outreach and communications skills, important for leadership in science. These efforts anchor the ecosystem, ensuring long-term stability and growth. 

OWSD also places an emphasis on selecting fellows and awardees with demonstrated mentoring and outreach experience, ensuring that the benefits of funding are extended to the recipients’ institutes and communities.

OWSD provides a global platform for women scientists to share their research interests and initiate collaborations, creating a network of interconnected relationships that supports the ecosystem’s health and vitality. Fellows’ and awardees’ alumnae networks as well as National Chapters provide opportunities to form deep and long-lasting connections between women scientists on national and international levels, and OWSD actively facilitates members’, fellows’, and awardees’ participation in collaborative research and decision-making processes through its numerous partnerships with organizations and institutes in the global scientific community.