The Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation (MESRI) officially launched a groundbreaking national doctoral training program exclusively for female teacher-researchers and researchers on Monday, August 4, 2025.
Named “250 PhDs for Women Teachers and Researchers,” the initiative aims to boost gender equality and female representation in Guinea’s higher education and research sectors.
Spearheaded by MESRI’s Gender and Equity Service (SGE), the ambitious program will run through 2035 and relies on a strong network of national and international partnerships. Its primary objective is to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in strategic areas of research, innovation, and technology.
The launch ceremony, held under the auspices of President Mamadi Doumbouya, brought together government officials, former ministers, and MESRI staff to endorse this historic initiative.
Bintoubhè Kaba, head of the Gender and Equity Service at MESRI, highlighted the urgency behind the program:
“The 250 Doctoral Program aims to strengthen research, innovation, and training to transform our education system and meet the challenges of the 21st century. Education and research are pillars of sustainable development. We must continue to invest, innovate, and collaborate to make this ambition a reality that benefits all of society.”
She also pointed to alarming statistics revealing a decline in female doctorate holders within Guinea’s university system:
“According to data from the Ministry’s Bureau of Statistics and Documentation (BSD), the proportion of female professors and researchers with a doctorate has fallen from 4% in 2020 to just 2% in 2024-2025. The participation of women in research remains extremely low, barely 0.1%. This situation undermines the credibility of our system and hinders the emergence of diverse perspectives, which are essential for innovation.”
The program pledges targeted support for 250 female doctoral candidates, providing comprehensive training, monitoring, funding, and mentoring. Female executives, teachers, and students are invited to seize this historic opportunity to enhance their scientific leadership.
Fanta Touré, head of the MESRI cabinet, praised the initiative’s transformative potential:
“This program opens up concrete prospects for female talent, often held back by structural and sociocultural barriers. By focusing on coaching, mentoring, and international partnerships, we hope to make it a lever for lasting change.”
She concluded with a hopeful vision:
“By training 250 female doctors by 2035, we are building a more inclusive future and laying the foundations for a driver of scientific, social and economic transformation for Guinea.”
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