By ICPAC
Viola Otieno, an Earth Observation Expert with IGAD’s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), has been named the president of Women in GMES & Africa Group, an outfit that aims to strengthen the participation and involvement of women in Earth Observation and Space.
“I am very honored to be given the chance to positively influence the participation of women in the space and EO industry. I firmly believe that everyone stands to benefit when women have access to equal opportunities. Together with the 11 distinguished women of the governing council we shall work towards improving access to opportunities and empowering women to seize them”, said Viola after her election during a three-day workshop in Cotonou, Benin.
“The group will carry out sensitization and awareness campaigns to highlight the opportunities available in the sector and encourage more women and the general public to join and contribute to the industry,” she added.
The 12 female led governing council is an initiative of the African Union Commission and was appointed based on AU election guidelines.
While congratulating her for the new appointment, IGAD’s Executive Secretary, Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, said: “we are so proud of what Viola has achieved. IGAD supports the increased participation and inclusion of women in STEM fields. Her appointment is a significant step towards bridging the gender gap in STEM. She is an inspiration too many young girls and women”.
For his part, GMES & Africa Project Coordinator at ICPAC, Mr Eugene Kayijamahe, said: “women and girls are agents of change, and this is true for the Earth Observation sector and STEM related fields. We welcome the election of Viola as President of the Women in GMES & Africa Group and congratulate her; we are confident she will do a great job. The establishment of this group is a milestone paving the way for more women to work in EO, as they are currently under-represented.”
Viola, who is also a member of IGAD Women in STEM, has over 10 years’ experience in Earth Observation and geo-application development in health, climate, environment and disasters. She is passionate about the democratization of space and provision of early warning information for early action.
In her current role at ICPAC, she is responsible for the development of drought monitoring and early warning products for 11 East African countries.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and a master’s degree in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from the University of Greenwich.
Editors Note
Earth Observation (EO)offers unprecedented opportunities to support sustainable development through effective and continuous monitoring of the planet. The newness of the Space industry in Africa means that only a small proportion of the population is participating and contributing to the global Space agenda. An even smaller proportion of women are involved.
It is for this reason, and recognizing the importance of women’s contribution in the collective human development, that the African Union Commission set out to establish the Women in GMES & Africa working group that brings together women working in various EO-related fields. A governing board made up of 12 women (2 per region as defined by AUC) was elected during the first Women in GMES workshop held in Cotonou, Benin 17-19 March 2022.
The GMES & Africa programme is one of the initiatives that aims to democratize Space by enhancing access and utilization of EO data, products and services to support sustainable development in Africa.
