Female postdoc researchers from the Global South – What are the challenges, enablers, and needs?

By Dr. Christine Bigler, Dr. Tina Büchler, Dr. Sony KC and Yamila Pita (technical support), Interdisciplinary Centre on Gender Studies (ICFG), University of Bern

It has been observed that researchers formerly supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) funded projects (such as R4D and SPIRIT) drop out of internationally established networks in the post-doctoral phase of their career, lose connections and face increasing difficulties in advancing their scientific and academic careers. This is particularly evident among female postdocs, who face unique challenges due to family responsibilities and societal expectations of their role as well-qualified women. Initial discussions with postdocs in the Global South show that it is not primarily a financial issue, but rather one of access to networks, support, identity formation, soft skills, and exchange of South-South experiences.

Based on the data obtained and the needs assessment carried out during the Postdoc Event Series: Challenges and enablers of female postdoc researchers in the Global South, this workshop aims to present and discuss the results of this exchange, as well as a series of recommendations to support women researchers from the Global south in advancing their scientific and academic careers in the framework of North-South collaboration agreements. Focusing particularly on the challenges and needs reported by the participants of the event series, this workshop aims to be a participatory space in which researchers and other stakeholders can jointly reflect on the steps to be taken to achieve gender equality in international collaborative research.

Registration: Please register for the workshop