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The Executive Director of the African Foundation for Women and Youth in Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Catherine Ngila attended the International Mathematics Pi ((π) Day themed, “Numbers and Beyond- A STEM Challenge for Future Innovators, organized by the Scientists of Kenya Association (SCOKA) in partnership with Daystar University on Saturday, 15th March, 2025 at the Athi River Campus of Daystar University. The Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi), and this year, it was exciting to explore the boundless impact of numbers across various fields of study.

Different secondary schools participated with over 1000 students and over 100 teachers, showcasing application of Pi in different Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, ICT, Mathematics and Physics.

Background:

Pi (π) is primarily known for its role in geometry and circle calculations, it also finds applications in chemistry, particularly in understanding chemical reactions and the properties of materials, including calculating volumes and areas of spherical or cylindrical vessels used in chemical processes. The chemicals in those vessels must have optimal flow to complete chemical reactions in that process. Pi helps us guarantee that is the case. Pi (π) also finds applications in biological sciences through its role in understanding periodic processes, geometric shapes in nature, and in tools like Raspberry Pi for data collection and analysis.

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and International Women’s Day

The Fourth World Conference on Women, having met in Beijing 4 -15 September 1995, recommended to the General Assembly of the United Nations at its fiftieth session that it endorses the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action ( BDPfA).

The BDfA listed 12 areas as follows: Women and poverty; Education and training of women; Women and health; Women in power and decision-making; Institutional mechanism for the advancement of women; Human rights of women; Women and the media; Women and the environment; The girl-child; Violence against women; Armed conflict; Women and economy .The BDfA areas can be linked to Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs).

SDG #5 has 9 targets namely : End Discrimination against Women and Girls; Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls; Eliminate forced Marriages and Genital Mutilation; Value unpaid Care and Promote Shared Domestic Responsibilities; Ensure full Participation in Leadership and Decision-Making; Universal Access to Reproductive Health and Rights; Equal rights to economic resources, Property ownership and financial services; Promote Empowerment of Women through Technology; Adopt and Strengthen Policies and Enforceable Legislation for Gender Equality.

On 6th March 2025, the Ambassador of France in Nairobi in partnership with the Centre for Rights, Education and Awareness (CREAW), hosted a Roundtable discussion to highlight initiatives undertaken to promote women rights towards the International Day of Women Rights ( normally celebrated on 8th March annually).

Our Executive Director of the African Foundation for Women and Youth in Education and STI, Prof Catherine Ngila , attended the Roundtable discussion at the French Embassy in Nairobi.

On 14th February 2025, The Executive Director, Prof Catherine Ngila attended a workshop on Women Leadership organized by Women on Boards Network in Nairobi.

The chief Guest was Ms Eva Moraya, the CEO of Brand Strategy and Design Group (BSD Group), a Kenyan company specializing in brand consultancy, strategic public relations, creative advertising, and brand training, essentially helping businesses develop and manage their brand image through comprehensive strategies and communication tactics across various platforms. Her Lecture was entitled: The Thriving Brand Image: Rewriting the Narrative of Self-Worth. “Your Brand is a reflection of your values, passion and the story you want the world to see”.

The workshop was all about mentorship and sponsorship in building the next generation of leaders. “Mentorship and Sponsorship are both ways that senior professionals help junior professionals advance in their careers. Mentors provide advice and support, while sponsors advocate for their protégés.”

Our Breakaway Group discussion focused on- “Building confidence in Young Leaders, what advice to offer them”

About Women on Boards Network (WOBN)

The Women on Boards Network (WOBN) in Kenya founded by Ms Catherine Musikali & Partners who is the current Chairperson.  WOBN is an initiative aimed at promoting and encouraging women into Board leadership. The Network provides a platform that will bring together women from diverse fields and ranks; facilitate those already sitting on Boards to effectively carry out their roles and responsibilities and upskill and prepare for the boardroom those women who are already in senior leadership roles but are not yet sitting on any boards. The initiative is all about ensuring that the next generation of board members is more diverse and better balanced from a gender perspective. WOBN aims at putting the talents of women to work to improve the effectiveness of corporate boards now and in the future.

WOBN targets women from the following four categories‚

i)Women at the top management level whose next natural step is to be a Board Member – Mentoring and training.

ii)Women currently serving as Board Members – Development and sharpening their skills as well as help them better appreciate Corporate Governance, to mentor the next generation women leaders.

iii)Women newly appointed as Board Members -Training and preparing them for the task ahead, and for them to understand and appreciate their personal attributes and biases, which may hinder them from becoming effective Board members.

iv)Women whose terms on boards have expired – To keep abreast with developments in Corporate Governance so as to remain Board ready, to mentor and encourage the next generation of corporate women leaders

Expert Group Meeting

The UN Women and partners convened an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) in New York (21-22 January 2025) to review progress on SDG 5 – Achieving Gender Equality and Empowering All Women and Girls. The meeting was a crucial step in preparation for the 2025 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), which focused on:

“Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs – leaving no one behind.”

The 2025 HLPF will conduct in-depth reviews of several critical SDGs:

✔ SDG 3 – Health & Well-being for all

✔ SDG 5 – Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment

✔ SDG 8 – Economic Growth & Decent Work

✔ SDG 14 – Ocean & Marine Conservation

✔ SDG 17 – Global Partnerships for Sustainable Development

At the SDG 5 Review Meeting, discussions centered on:

(i) Assessing progress on SDG 5 and implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA)

(ii) Breaking barriers and scaling success – lessons learned & strategies for accelerating gender equality.

(iii) Closing the Gap – financing for gender equality to drive systemic change

Gender equality is foundational to sustainable development—without it, achieving the 2030 Agenda remains out of reach. As we enter the final five years of the SDG timeline, urgent transformative actions and strong partnerships are needed to accelerate progress. The time for bold action is now! Let’s continue working together to break barriers, close gaps, and drive lasting change for women and girls worldwide.

Prof. Catherine Ngila, Executive Director, recently participated in an interview by a New York Times podcast on Beauty and Science, entitled, THIS IS NOT A BEAUTY PODCAST, produced in collaboration with L’Oréal Groupe. The episode, The Essentiality of Beauty, explores the profound role beauty plays in our daily lives and the science behind it.

During the discussion, Prof. Ngila shared her journey of chemistry, focusing on her research in water quality management and its critical connection to both science and beauty.

The podcast featured insights from leading experts, including:
🔹 Paul Dalton, Associate Professor at the University of Oregon, known for inventing a 3D printer for artificial skin
🔹 Valerie Michault, Director of Human and Environmental Predictive Technologies at L’Oréal Groupe
🔹 Neuroscientist Afnan Azizi
🔹 Astrophysicist Becky Smethurst
🔹 Janet Wangari Olivero, VP for Research and Innovation at L’Oréal Groupe
🔹 Anne Colonna, Head of Advanced Research at L’Oréal Groupe

Each expert shared their unique perspective on how beauty intersects with their science field of research.

Listen to the full episode (36 minutes long) here: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/welcome-to-this-is-not-a-beauty-podcast/id1768813164?i=1000669732655 ]
Prof. Ngila’s segment appears between the 20th and 22nd minute.

#ScienceAndBeauty #Innovation #CosmeticScience #Research #LOréal  #NewYorkTimesPodcast 

About L’Oreal’s Research & Innovation

During a visit to L’Oréal Groupe’s research laboratories in Paris, the Executive Director Prof. Catherine Ngila was impressed by the cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of the beauty industry. L’Oréal’s expertise spans green chemistry, biology, biotechnology, and the eco-design of cosmetic formulations—pushing the boundaries of sustainable innovation.

The visit included insightful lectures from leading scientists, emphasizing their relentless pursuit of breakthrough discoveries. By leveraging data, algorithms, artificial intelligence, and groundbreaking technologies, L’Oréal ensures the highest standards of quality, efficacy, and safety in their products.

Learn more about L’Oréal’s commitment to research and innovation: [https://www.loreal.com/en/beauty-science-and-technology/beauty-research-and-innovation/ ]

#BeautyScience #Innovation #SustainableBeauty #AI #GreenChemistry #LOréalResearch

The Executive Director, Prof Catherine Ngila attendedthe Smart Government Summit held on 2-3 October 2024 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Nairobi, hosted by Government of Kenya (Smart Gov. Dept), Dx5 (formerly CIO Africa), ActionLab, Space.ai, NTTData, African eDevelopment Resource Centre,  ManageEngine, and many others. The theme of the Summit was: Reimagining Governance, Agile, Inclusive- Harnessing the Power of AI for Transformative Change.

The Summit brought together key stakeholders from government, industry, and academia, to discuss how digital technology is transforming the public sector governance.

Prof Ngila participated in the panel discussion on “Nurturing Talent in the Public Service”. The panel discussedstrategies to nurture talent through skills development to build capacity. She was particularly interested in ways in which organizations can promote inclusivity by addressing the gender gap brought about by digital divide which creates a division and inequality around access to information and resources. Women and youth are particularly affected by unequal access to opportunities in the society. The main challenges for women and girls in digital transformation are; Access to facilities and opportunities, Digital literacy and Online safety. Mentorship programmes go along way in mitigating these challenges by providing support, building resilience, and offering practical strategies to overcome and achieve one’s long-term success.

About Smart Government

Smart Government is a Unit under the office of the President in Kenya. The Unit has a mandate is to support the coordination of automation of Government services and ensuring digital efficiency in the running of government and its programmes and activities. The Unit works very closely with the Kenya Ministry of Information, Communication and The Digital Economy (MICDE). The mission of the ministry is to facilitate sustainable social economic transformation of Kenya by leveraging on ICT, universal access to Information and Communication services for global competitiveness.

Acknowledgement to:  #dX5(CIO):  https://cioafrica.co/

The Executive Director, Prof Ngila on 23^rd August 2024, attended the closing ceremony of the Kenya National Research Festival (19th-23rd August 2024) at the Edge Convention Centre, Nairobi, whose festival’s overarching theme was, “Research Partnerships and Collaborations for Socio-Economic Transformation“.

She was a panelist in the first session of 5^th day of the festival, having a discussion on the topic: Innovative Sustainable Research Funding in the Global South.

The issues discussed by the Panelists include sharing thoughts on; (i) innovative sustainable research funding in the Global South (GS); (ii) key challenges in securing sustainable research funding in GS; (iii) strategies that academic institutions could employ to attract and manage sustainable research funding that supports economic transformation; (iv) policies to be implemented to create a more conducive environment for research funding and how these policies drive economic growth; (v) metrices that should be used to assess the long-term economic benefits of research funding in the GS.

Quoting the Kenya National Research Fund (NRF) statement: “Research and innovation play a pivotal role in shaping the course of nations, fostering development, and addressing critical societal challenges. Recognizing the transformative power of research and innovation the NRF and Young Scientists of Kenya (YSK) proudly introduced the inaugural edition of the Kenya National Research Festival (KNRF).”

Prof Ngila indicated that she was happy to see primary and secondary school students participate as Young Scientists. The highlight of the day was the Award ceremony where school students, early career researchers, professors, senior citizens, all receiving awards in different categories of the festival. In particular, she indicated that more than 60% of the Award-recipients were women of all ages, in various science fields.

The festival was strategically designed to raise awareness about the diverse spectrum of research activities in Kenya and internationally. It aimed to encourage collaboration on both domestic and international fronts, providing a conducive space to instilling principles of robust leadership in research and elevating the overall research culture. The festival placed a primary focus on interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research, encompassing current and future initiatives that contribute to the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 20 30. She commented the Kenya’s NRF CEO, Prof. Dickson Andala and his team, for a successful research festival event.

The Executive Director, Prof Ngila on International Conference on Chemistry Education (ICCE2024). https://www.icce2024thailand.com/

The various presentations discussed the role of chemistry education not only in classroom setting but also in societal context. Novel teaching and learning methods in chemistry were covered. Professional development of educators at all levels (school and university) were included. Societal context of chemistry education such as sustainability, ethics, diversity, equity, and inclusion were covered.

The topic of my presentation was: Chemical Sciences for SDGs: Effects of Gender, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Least Developed Countries (Emerging Economies). The main question is- how to ensure equity and inclusivity in education for everyone regardless of gender, economic status and geographical region?

Prof Ngila gave Talks at National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC) in Bangkok: https://www.sciencepark.or.th/en/innovation-community/NANOTEC/, where she presented on- Nanotechnology for Water Treatment research at the University of Johannesburg. She also gave another Talk at the Faculty of Science, Thammasat University (Rangsit Campus) in Bangkok, https://tu.ac.th/, presenting on nanotechnology applications as well as the activities we undertake at the African Foundation for Women and Youth in Education, Science Technology & Innovation: /

Conference Theme: The Power of Chemistry Education for Advancing SDGs. The international conference on chemistry education is a global platform for educators, teachers, chemists, and scientists around the world to bring chemical education closer to sustainable prosperity and pave the way to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Specific Objectives

1) To provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge and ideas related to chemical education among researchers, educators, students, and other stakeholders from around the world.
2) To facilitate collaboration and networking among individual and institutions involved in chemical education, with the aim of fostering partnerships and joint initiatives that can improve the quality and accessibility of chemical education globally.
3) To contribute to the achievement of the UN SDGs by promoting the role of chemistry education in addressing global challenges such as climate change and inequality.

The ICCE 2024 also included the 12th International Symposium on Microscale Chemistry.

The side events on micro-scale chemistry was really fascinating to see how we can make can conduct laboratory experiments with small quantities of chemical reagents and with simpler equipment.

According to late Prof John Bradley of University of Witwatersrand, “Practical chemistry could be expensive due to the cost of chemicals and equipment. Using small-scale plastic apparatus allows cost, safety and waste disposal problems to be addressed. Prof Bradley and the team, developed a microchemistry system based on cheap microscale equipment which were easy to use for individual students, as well as convenient for teachers to implement.

For those learning institutions where students do not have access to modern laboratories, small scale chemistry practicals would be useful, to provide students with hand-on experience during practical classes.

On 20th June 2024, Prof Ngila attended an Awards Ceremony for the Engineering Entrepreneurs in East Africa via ASME’s HardTech Social Innovation Accelerator known as the ISHOW. https://thisishardware.org/

 ASME- https://www.asme.org/about-asme, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ vision is to promote the art, science and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe. The ISHOW is open to individuals and organizations, taking physical products to market that will have a positive social and environmental impact.

ASME’s Call to Engineers and allied scientists interested in social innovation says that: ‘whether you are selling your product directly to customers or employing a service model to drive accessibility, we want to hear about your idea’.

Applicants for ASME’s ISHOW should have an existing prototype and be interested in receiving financing, technical support and access to industry networks to assist in taking their product to market.

ASME hosted its Annual Regional Event in Nairobi on June 19th-20th at the Hyatt Regency Westlands, Nairobi in Kenya.

Prof Ngila indicated that she was excited to join the ISHOW Awards Ceremony in the evening of June 20^th, 2024, and was extremely happy to see Young Women Engineers winning Awards in Mechanical Engineering contributing to the manufacturing sector.

Organizing team #IanaAranda, Sr. Director, Engineering for Sustainable Development, ASME and President, Engineering for Change LLC; and #ThomasCostabile, The Executive Director/ CEO, ASME.

# LeahPutman; #Jonathan Kemp

The Executive Director of the Foundation, Prof Ngila attended the UN Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI4SDGs Forum 2024) from 8-10 May 2024. The forum was organized by the Division for Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).

As a Member of the UN-10 Member Group supporting the UN Interagency Task Team on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (IATT) Prof Ngila and other Members facilitated the STI Form sessions on 9 and 10 May 2024.

The theme for the STI Forum 2024 was, ‘Science, technology and innovation for reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions”. This year, the focus was on  selected five SDGs: SDG 1 (End poverty in all its forms everywhere), SDG 2 ( End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture), SDG 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts), SDG 16 (Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels), and SDG 17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development).

The Thematic Areas included the following Sessions:

• Ministerial Session under the theme “Harnessing science and technology for the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient, and innovative solutions.

Chaired by Forum Co-Chairs namely:

*Her Excellency Inga Rhonda King, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations;

*Her Excellency Christina Markus Lassen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations;

Session 1: More and more effective funding and capacity for SDG related research and innovation in all regions (SDG17);

Session 2: Strengthening scientific cooperation, technology and knowledge sharing and accelerating innovation for integrated climate action (SDG13);

Session 3: Bridging the science, technology and innovation divides to eradicate poverty and end hunger (SDGs 1 and 2);

Session 4: Building ecosystems for science, technology and innovation to drive economic growth and sustainable development in Small Island Developing States;

Session 5: Harnessing the power of digital innovation for sustainable peace and resilience in the context of climate change (SDG 16);

Session 6: Advancing sustainable development with women-centered science and technology solutions

Session 7: STI partnerships for accelerating structural transformation in African countries, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries moderated by. Prof Catherine Ngila Executive Director AFoWYESTI

Going Forward the UN 10-Member will embark on the following activities:

• Establish the Global Trends in STI and SDGs -Collaboration between Research Funding Organizations and the UN Sustainable Development Goals Stakeholders, is crucial;
• Enhancing STI Governance – the principles to be adopted before the technologies and innovations are adopted;
• Case Studies on STI for SDGs that have been achieved Globally to be showcased, and in particular the African countries, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries. What are the challenges and lessons to guide future strategies? ;

• Promoting women in STEM and STEM for women- How can we increase women’s participation in STEM, and how can we ensure that STEM prioritizes women;
• The need for alternative materials and models, and to promote circular economy for decarbonizing building materials and urban settlements;
• Decarbonizing Societies- and striving to attain Just Transition. Questions to ask, will the world leave fossil fuels underground- especially the Emerging Economies? 

The Executive Director of the African Foundation for Women and Youth in Education and STI, Prof Catherine Ngila, was the Keynote Speaker at the STEM Boot Camp of Excellence whose theme was, ‘Unlocking The Potential in Girls in STEM for a Secure & Sustainable Future for All’.  The Camp/ Workshop was organized by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Kenya National Commission for UNESCO, National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation and the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa.

Background

‘The role of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Science Technology and Innovation (STI) in sustainable development cannot be underestimated. STEM continues to register low participation of students, particularly girls. Globally, women account for a minority of the world’s researchers, and this is replicated in many STEM fields where they are underrepresented. This low participation of women in STEM fields automatically leads to fewer women who are involved in scientific research. Africa like other continents is no stranger to the shortage of women in STEM fields.’

‘Many female students shy away from selecting STEM related courses due to a combination of factors some of which are exacerbated by the gender stereotypes,  cultural practices, attitudes, gender biased teaching and learning materials, socio-economic challenges including marginalization and discrimination within the communities which continue to influence the gendered nature of education and hence determines the occupation of women and men.’

Prof Ngila was invited as Mentor and Role Model to Girls in STEM. She gave a Lecture entitled;

UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF GIRLS IN STEM FOR A SECURE & SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR ALL: UNESCO Call to Action , Closing the Gender Gap in Science

Prof Ngila discussed the UNESCO’s key action areas to close the gender gap in science as follows:

• Dismantling gender stereotypes
• Opening educational pathways for girls in science
• Creating safe workplace environments that attract, retain and advance women scientists

The Foundation’s Executive Director, Prof Ngila attended the launch of Kenya National Research Fund (NRF)’s Repository which has been developed in with collaboration with the British Council. This is an online knowledge repository designed to facilitate easy access to information pertaining to Kenya’s research landscape for researchers, policymakers, and the general public. The repository is envisioned as a vital tool for evaluating the impact of research initiatives and integrating innovations into national development strategies. The primary objective of launching the Repository is to raise awareness among researchers, decision-makers, research and innovation funders, and thematic networks regarding its functionalities. It will also serve as a platform for stakeholders to provide feedback and express their expectations for the repository’s utility. The awareness will enhance utilization of the platform within the country; enhance collaborative research nationally and internationally; and improve visibility of Kenya’s research ecosystem.

She indicated that she would be happy to see similar national repository platforms in the whole of Africa as collaboration will be enhanced if researchers are able to access information on  researcher projects and researchers in different countries for ease of  collaborations and intra & inter-institutional partnerships.

The forum was also attended by Youth in Sciences such as  a young Director and Chairperson of the Scientists of Kenya Association (SCOKA) Ms Everlyn Kimanthi and other Network members: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scientists-of-kenya-association-scoka/

The Executive Director, Prof Ngila attended the 3rd East Africa Community Regional Science, Technology and Innovation Conference, 6th -8th March, Nairobi, Kenya, jointly organized by East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) and Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA).

The 3^rd EAC Regional STI Conference was convened under the overarching theme of “Accelerating development and diffusion of Science, technology and Innovation solutions for a green, inclusive and resilient East Africa”.

The biennial Conference builds on the deliberations and success of the 1^st and 2^nd EAC conferences, which were respectively held in Kampala, Uganda in 2019 and Bujumbura, Burundi in 2021. The Conference brought together diverse actors in the STI system, including policy makers, industry players, academicians, researchers, innovators, students and development partners.

The Conference provided a multifaceted platform for the STI players in the EAC region and beyond to share their experiences, best practices and results within the knowledge and technology generation, translation and transfer chain. The Conference consisted of keynote presentations, paper presentations, panel discussions, exhibitions and high-level policymakers interaction sessions.

The conference engagement sessions were structured into four thematic areas, namely: (i) Agricultural Productivity, Resilience and Food Security; (ii)Health and Nutrition; (iii)Natural Resources Management; and (iv)Information Communication Technology and Digital Economy. 

Prof Ngila was a panelist in session 4: Information Communication Technology and Digital Economy. She presented on issues related to supporting women and youth to maximumly participate in STI and digital technologies in the implementation of Sustainable Development  Goals.