Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must) outgoing Vice-Chancellor Professor Address Malata has challenged female innovators to collaborate and have a purpose for their lives.
Speaking in an interview on Friday on the sidelines of the Women Innovation Network session at the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme in Blantyre, she said young female innovators should fix their gaze on the vision.
“If they want to really make progress, they must learn to create a vision and know what they want to do as they pursue that vision. It may require training, it may require collaboration, but at the end of the day, having focus is very important,” said Malata.
Research and innovation management specialist Gift Kadzamira said women should bridge the innovation gap in Malawi using transformative and inclusive leadership to reduce challenges that have come due to climate change, youth unemployment and rural urban migration.
“Women have what it takes, but there is a lot more that is supposed to be done. When you look at the statistics, we only have about 800 female researchers out of 2 800 researchers, as per the 2019 Research and Development Survey,” she said.
Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme head of innovation and translation Dr. Alice Mbewe Mtalimanja said the conference was convened to empower women that are passionate about innovation.
“It’s really exciting to have a group of women together talking and discussing the empowerment of women in innovation,” she said.
The Women Innovation Network gathering was part of Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme’s Innovation Week activities.
