Women in Chemistry Network (WICN) has been formed to encourage women in the chemical sciences (namely; Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Pharmacy and pharmaceuitcal sciences, materials sciences. etc) to establish contacts for partnership and collaboration.

The launch of the organisation in Accra coincided with the 2024 edition of the Annual Global Women Breakfast of IUPAC, where women in science arround the gather to delibrate for impact.

The event was under the theme: “Promoting Gender Diversity in the Chemical Sciences”.

An associate professor of environmental chemistry, Marian Asantewah Nkansah, is the founder and convener of Women in Chemistry Network (WICN).

She recounted a series of events leading to the conception of the organization 13 years ago.

 “…I will go on to sign up for IUPAC Sponsored Affiliate Programme which gave me access to Chemistry International a flagship periodical of IUPAC.

“In one of the editions, I got to know that the year 2011 had been declared by the United Nations as the year of Chemistry. A focal point of the celebration was to provide the opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women to science on the one-hundredth anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Maria Sklodowska-Curie.

“I signed up for participation in the opening ceremony and correspondence indicated the plan to host networking Breakfast Meetings for Women around the world in January 2011.

She continued: “This inspired the creation of a Facebook page for women in Chemistry in Ghana on 16^th January, 2011, where news in the world of science in general and chemistry in particular were shared. Dr. Mercy Badu of the Department to Chemistry, KNUST and Dr. Bernice Agyemang-Ampratwum a researcher in the USA were some of the first to join and keep the page interactive.”

Prof. Nkansah emphasized the need for special attention on the study of chemistry.

“Most of the agenda on women inclusion in science has been general. I believe there are specific slots women can occupy. We believe that in the midst of all the agenda on STEM education, some peculiar attention should be given to chemistry, clearly on the way it is taught so that the interest will be built from the grassroots so that people can say, ‘I want to be a chemist when I grow up,’” she said.

The event brought together eminent scientists like Emerita Profs. Isabella Quakyi, and Mary Garson, the Vice President of IUPAC. Other Professors like Frances Owusu Daaku, and Prof. Dorcas Osei-Safo also featured.

Prof. Isabella Quakyi encouraged both private and public institutions to find ways to champion STEM initiatives.