The Executive Leadership Centre for Professional Women (ExCel) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, has organised a three-day workshop focused on Leadership for Early Career Females in Academia.
The workshop which was slated for June 16th to 18th 2022, aimed at equipping early career females in academia with management, leadership and professional skills and was under the theme “Bridging the Gender Gap and Leadership for Women in STEM.”
The Project Lead, Dr. (Mrs.) Florence Yaa Akyia Ellis, speaking to the University Relations Office (URO) revealed that the initiative was birthed in 2017 by a group of females with diverse backgrounds and at different levels of their academic status, led by the former Vice-Chancellor and project Chairperson of KNUST, Professor William Otoo Ellis. Dr. Ellis indicated that the team saw the need to bridge the gap between the percentage of men making it to top managerial positions, especially in academia, compared to females.
“Currently, only 1% of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields occupy top managerial positions in academia. This has largely been due to societal, cultural, and personal barriers and most notably, personal barriers,” she said.
Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo, the Pro Vice-chancellor, encouraged the participants to build a solid mentor-mentee relationship. He directed them to avail themselves to mentor and be mentored. He emphasised the importance of mentorship. “With the advice and guidance of a mentor, mentees can avoid making mistakes that would otherwise occur. As they gain traction on the route to achieving their goals, they will develop leadership skills and opportunities to work in leadership positions,” he advised.
The topics presented by renowned professionals from both academia and corporate organisations included, “Handling Problems in a High-performance Workplace Environment”, “Personal Grooming/Branding: Building Confidence in a Professional Workplace Environment” and “Mentorship in Career Progression: A Mentor and a Mentee”.
Other topics such as “Work-life Balance: The stakeholders in our lives”, “Creating a niche of excellence and trust”, “Effective leadership: Rising to the top in Academia” and “Resilience in a Professional World” were also discussed.
Dr. (Mrs.) Loretta Sarpong, Head of the Women’s Desk at Ecobank Ghana Limited, speaking on “Handling Problems in a High-performance Workplace Environment”, urged participants to share their success stories for a progressive career. “Own your success stories. Share them to encourage and mentor other people out there. Men do it anyway, so what’s wrong with us telling others about our great accomplishments?” she recommended.
The workshop was funded by the KNUST Research Fund (KReF) under the auspices of the Office of Grants and Research (OGR) and had twenty-five applicants coming from KNUST and other major universities in Ghana.