Accelerating the Balance of Women in Leadership Positions in Science, Technology and Innovation

1. Accelerating the Balance of Women in Leadership Positions in Science, Technology and Innovation @ theHigh Level International Roundtable for ‎ Women In ‎Leadership Roles In Science And Technology ‎Getting ‎There‎ Presented by:Jummai Umar-Ajijola, PhD @ theSwiss Garden Hotel and Residences, Kuala Lumpur 4 – 5 September 2012 jummaiu@thebusinesspeople.com.ng

2. Introduction • Context: Leadership • Women and Leadership in STI: Historical Perspective • Issues confronting Women Scientists in Attaining Leadership Roles in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) • Prospects: International Legal Basis • Leveraging Culture: The Norwegian Paradox • What Way Forward? Strategies for acceleration • Conclusion

3. Context: Leadership • Leadership is a corner stone of social advancement in which change is anchored. • How Leaders are made • Identified by followers • Active pursuit of leadership • position • Tiers of leadership • Administrative • Discipline • Three determinants • Social Integration • Discipline Expertise • Gender

4. Why extremists always focus on women remains a mystery to me. But they all seem to. It doesn’t matter what country they’re in or what religion they claim. They all want to control women. They want to control how we dress. They want to control how we act. They even want to control the decisions we make about our own health and our own bodies– Hillary Clinton, 2012

5. En Hedu’Anna (Babylon) - 2354 BC ‎‘The High Priestess, Ornament of Heaven'‎ • Chief Astronomer Priestess • Granted legitimacy to rulers • Credited with at least 42 poems some on astronomy en he du an na

6. Women Leaders in History: Science, Technology and Innovation • Merit Ptah (Egypt) • First recorded woman scientist • “Chief Physician” to the Pharaoh (2700 BC) • Agnodike(Agnodice) – 600 BC • First known midwife in ancient Greece • Studied midwifery/ Gynecology by disguising as a man • Activist: Successfully fought to abolish law against women studying medicine • Agamede (1194 – 1184 BC) • Referenced by Homer as Physician with healing powers using plants • Later labeled a sorceress in the 4th Century BC

7. Hypatia of Alexandria (370 – 415 AD) • First historically noted woman in Mathematics • Head of Platonic School at Alexandria • Director, Library of Alexandria • Taught Philosophy and Astronomy • Accused of witchcraft and murdered by a Christian mob • Maria the Jewess • Alchemist and inventor of chemical laboratory apparatus including the double boiler • Author of oldest alchemy books Ibn al-Nadim (Kitāb al-Fihrist), 1100 AD referred to her as one of fifty-two most famous alchemists • Dorotea Bucca • Professor of medicine at Bologna University • Dean of medicine (1390 – aprox.1430) • Succeeded her father who held the same chair

8. Challenges • Masculinization of power and leadership positions • Active and Passive Discrimination • against women scientists • Intolerance - Victimization of women scientists • labeled as witches • Women "‏mentally incapable of holding a position of authority”‎ - Thomas Acquinas (1225 – 1274 AD) • “The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women [but] about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.” - Pat Robertson (1991) • Leaky Pipe

9. Psychological barriers • Societal conditioning Established beliefs of women’s lack of leadership capacity • Loss of bargaining will • Women leading like men

10. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)‎ • Discrimination constitutes “distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis ‎of…exercise by women… in the political, ‎economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field” • Countries responsibility: • ensure gender parity: • education (Article 10) • employment (Article 11) • political and public life ‎‎(Article 7)‎ • Provide Progress Reports at least every four years (Article 18)

11. United States, Iran, Nauru, Palau, Qatar, Sumatra, Sudan and Tonga not signatories to Convention • Ecuador, El-Salvador, Mongolia, Norway, Sweden and Uruguay up to date with reports

12. The Asian and South Pacific Success Source: www.masterintelligence.com

13. Leveraging Cultures: The Norwegian Paradox • Tight Cultures do not support emergence of women leaders - fallacy • Top-down approach & enforces social comformity • However, Norway introduced quota system for board room representation of women in 1993 • Targeted 40% by 2017 • Achieved 42% women representation in 2010, above EU average and far surpassing other ‘lose cultures’ (i.e. laissez faire)

14. What Way Forward? Strategies for Acceleration • Focus on Impacts and Results • Measure achievements (baseline, develop matrix, M&E) • Identify Partners • Tight Cultures • Use Champions and National Animators • Build Pipelines • Affirmative Action • Other Access Initiatives • Mentorship programs • Recognize Achievements • Media and Communication • Documentation • Break down stereotypes

15. Measure Impact and Results

16. Women in Leadership Positions - Women-LeaP (STI) Assessment Framework - Domains • Women-LeaP (STI) Index • n-Domains • n-Processes • Applied Across: • Academic-Education • Research • Technology Related Professions • Industry • Political Leadership • Policy & Regulation • Media • Self Assessed

17. Women-Leap (STI) Assessment Framework - Processes Define all processes for all domains at country level Table Key: PS = Policy & Strategy; AC = Awareness and Communication; IO = Implementation and Organization; CC = Compliance and Control; ME = Monitoring& Evaluation

18. Women-LeaP (STI) Self-Assessment Processes • Simplified assessment tablefor country partners • Assessment covers all domains and processes across all four sub-fields • Self-ranking depth (i.e. level) determined by framework owner • Ranking system developed based on baseline survey

19. Identify Partners: Champions

20. Identify Partners: Animators • Get Women-LeaP on the UN Post-2015 agenda through Office of the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General on Post-2015 development agenda

21. Building A Pipeline: Combining Access Initiatives • Quota Systems work! • UK, Canada, United States, Austria, Germany and Sweden already considering quotas for boardroom representation Source: http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2012/05/specials/infographic.women.boardroom/index.html

22. Recognize and Celebrate Achievements • Document and Trumpet Successes • Champion Best Practices • Develop recognition parameters for successful individuals and organizations accelerating Women-LeaP

23. ? • Create A Sanction Regime

24. Break Down Stereotypes • De-masculinize perception of power and leadership • Women scientists exhibit the same professional traits as their male counterparts • Girls can compete

25. Conclusion • Parity of women representation at leadership levels in Science, Technology and Innovation fields is a necessity for global advancement • Achievements in other spheres of leadership must be adapted and leveraged to suit women leadership goals in STI • Breakdown psychological barriers to women parity in leadership position • Partnerships across disciplines, cultures, gender and ideologies to have a successful acceleration of women representation at decision-making levels

26. In Closing… To the true woman who possesses exceeding wisdom Always consulting a tablet of lapis lazuli (or of Samsung and Apple) Giving advice to all lands The true woman, born of the stylus reed Applies the measure to heaven And places the measuring-rope on the earth (For the benefit of mankind) Something has been created that no one has created before (Finally attaining her true place) (In an equitable position in the balance of life) Adapted from: “The house of Nisaba”, En Hedu’Anna (2354 BC)

27. Shukran Terima kasih Thank you Merci Obrigado Ma Gye Bo