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Background: This study sought to illuminate familial and socio-cultural drivers that contribute to intersectional gender inequities in scientific career progression in Sub-saharan Africa (SSA) by drawing on lived experiences of women and men researchers. The findings are drawn from a wider research study that was aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of the barriers and enablers of gender equitable scientific career progression for researchers in SSA. This was nested within the context of ‘Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science in Africa’ (DELTAS Africa) – a health-based scientific research capacity strengthening initiative. Methods: The study adopted an exploratory qualitative cross-sectional study design. In-depth interviews were conducted with fifty-eight (32 Female and 26 Male) trainees/research fellows at various career stages, supported and/or affiliated to three purposively selected African Research Consortia. The interviews were conducted between May and December 2018 in English. The data was analysed inductively based on emergent themes.Results: Four themes were identified. First: characterisation of the normative career pathway and progression requirements. Second: social power relations of gender within the family and wider society. Third: researchers’ experiences of navigating between the ‘two different lives’, and the resultant implications for their career progression and personal well-being. Fourth, potential strategies utilised by women for navigating the ‘two different lives’ and their impacts. Conclusions: This study offers important policy and practice measures and approaches for fostering equitable scientific research career progression for women and men within research capacity strengthening initiatives in SSA. These includes the need for: reforms in institutional human resources policies and systems; a more fundamental re-think of the normative scientific career structure to create equitable opportunities, improving diversity and well-being of both female and male researchers; additional support and potential adjustments to expectations for language minorities in science; and embracing gender transformative approaches in science.

Background This study sought to determine how institutional environments, including values, policies, and their implementation, shape inequities in scientific career progression for women and men, and their disadvantages in relation to their multiple social identities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The findings are drawn from a wider research study that was aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of the barriers and enablers of gender-equitable scientific career progression for researchers in SSA. This was nested within the context of the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa) programme—a health-based scientific research capacity-strengthening initiative. Methods The study adopted an exploratory qualitative cross-sectional study design. In-depth interviews (IDIs) with trainees/research fellows at various career stages supported and/or affiliated to three purposively selected DELTAS Africa Research Consortia were the main method of data collection. In addition, key informant interviews (KIIs) with consortia research leaders/directors, co-investigators, and the consortia management team were also conducted to corroborate information gathered from the IDIs, and also to provide additional insights on the drivers of intersectional gender-inequitable career progression. In total, 58 IDIs (32 female and 26 male) and 20 KIIs (4 female and 16 male) were conducted. The interviews were carried out in English between May and December 2018. The data were analysed inductively based on emergent themes. Results Three interrelated themes were identified: first, characterization of the institutional environment as highly complex and competitive with regard to advancement opportunities and funding structure; second, inequitable access to support systems within institutions; third, informal rules—everyday experiences of negative practices and culture at the workplace, characterized by negative stereotypical attitudes, gender biases, sexual harassment, and bullying and intimidation. Conclusions We contend that understanding and addressing the social power relations at the meso-institutional environment and macro-level contexts could benefit career progression of both female and male researchers by improving work culture and practices, resource allocation, and better rules and policies, thus fostering positive avenues for systemic and structural policy changes.

Background Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) suffers from a dearth of concrete information on the causes of women’s under-representation in scientific research workforce particularly at higher levels compared with the wealth of information that exists in the global north. The goal of this study was to illuminate familial and socio-cultural drivers that contribute to intersectional gender inequities in scientific career progression in SSA to inform strategies that could promote career equity for African scientific researchers. Methods This study was nested within the context of ‘Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science in Africa’ (DELTAS Africa)—a health-based scientific research capacity strengthening initiative. It adopted an exploratory qualitative cross-sectional study design. In-depth interviews were conducted among 58 (32 Female and 26 Male) trainees/research fellows at various career stages, affiliated to three purposively selected African Research Consortia. The interviews were conducted between May and December 2018 in English. The data were analysed inductively based on emergent themes. Results The study participants were nationals of thirteen SSA countries. More female than male participants had young children. Four themes were identified. They illustrate women’s and men’s characterisation of the normative career pathway and progression requirements which calls for significant ‘time’ commitments (theme 1), and how social power relations of gender within the family and wider society shapes their participation in scientific research activities (theme 2). This culminates in researchers'' differential experiences of navigating between the ‘two different lives’—family and career, and the resultant implications for their career progression and personal well-being (theme 3). Women researchers made different and conscious trade-offs for navigating the ‘two different lives’ by utilising various metaphors such as the ‘biological clock and career clock’, the ‘glass ball and rubber ball’, and the concept of ‘sacrifice’ (theme 4). Conclusions This study is the first of its kind to demonstrate how intersectional gender analysis through use of qualitative research methods may provide novel insights into the hidden familial and socio-cultural drivers of gender inequitable scientific research career progression. It offers important policy and practice measures and approaches for fostering career equity for women and men scientists within research capacity strengthening initiatives in SSA.

Background: This study sought to find out how institutional environments, including values, policies, and their implementation shape inequities in scientific career progression for women and men, and their disadvantages in relation to their multiple social identities in Sub-saharan Africa (SSA). The findings are drawn from a wider research study that was aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of the barriers and enablers of gender equitable scientific career progression for researchers in SSA. This was nested within the context of ‘Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science in Africa’ (DELTAS Africa) – a health-based scientific research capacity strengthening initiative.Methods: The study adopted an exploratory qualitative cross-sectional study design. In-depth interviews (IDIs) with trainees/research fellows at various career stages supported and/or affiliated to three purposively selected DELTAS Africa Research Consortia was the main method of data collection. In addition, key informant interviews (KIIs) with consortia research leaders/directors, co-investigators, and the consortia management team were also conducted to corroborate information gathered from the IDIs, and also to provide additional insights on the drivers of intersectional gender inequitable career progression. In total, fifty-eight IDIs (32 female and 26 male) and twenty KIIs (4 female and 16 male) were conducted. The interviews were carried out between May and December 2018 in English. The data was analysed inductively based on emergent themes.Results: Three interrelated themes were identified. First: characterisation of the institutional environment as highly complex and competitive, pertaining to progression opportunities and funding structure. Second: Inequitable access to support systems within institutions. Third: Informal rules: Everyday experiences of negative practices and culture at workplace characterised by negative stereotypical attitudes; gender biases; sexual harassment, bullying and intimidation.Conclusions: We contend that understanding and addressing the social power relations at the meso-institutional environment and macro level contexts could benefit career progression of both women and men researchers through improving working culture and practices, resource allocation and better rules and policies thus fostering positive avenues for systemic and structural policy changes.

Children heading households (CHH) in urban informal settlements face specific vulnerabilities shaped by limitations on their opportunities and capabilities within the context of urban inequities, which affect their wellbeing. We implemented photovoice research with CHHs to explore the intersections between their vulnerabilities and the social and environmental context of Nairobi’s informal settlements. We enrolled and trained four CHHs living in two urban informal settlements—Korogocho and Viwandani—to utilise smartphones to take photos that reflected their experiences of marginalisation and what can be done to address their vulnerabilities. Further, we conducted in-depth interviews with eight more CHHs. We applied White’s wellbeing framework to analyse data. We observed intersections between the different dimensions of wellbeing, which caused the CHHs tremendous stress that affected their mental health, social interactions, school performance and attendance. Key experiences of marginalisation were lack of adequate food and nutrition, hazardous living conditions and stigma from peers due to the limited livelihood opportunities available to them. Despite the hardships, we documented resilience among CHH. Policy action is required to take action to intervene in the generational transfer of poverty, both to improve the life chances of CHHs who have inherited their parents’ marginalisation, and to prevent further transfer of vulnerabilities to their children. This calls for investing in CHHs’ capacity for sustaining livelihoods to support their current and future independence and wellbeing.

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