“More women in research”, now in Asia: The importance of mentors and allies
06-05-25
The “More Women in Research” movement has made its way to Asia. A seminar held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 9-10 April 2025 brought together 30 Danida-funded researchers from Vietnam, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Denmark to exchange insights and strategies for advancing gender equity in research and academia. A key focus was the critical role of mentorship.
By Elena Adamo, Line Richter and Vibeke Quaade
Women make up only around one third of researchers worldwide and while the number is increasing in many parts of the world, achieving gender equity in research goes beyond counting heads – it requires fair access to opportunities and resources.
Often, women carry heavier teaching and administrative workloads than men and this limits their time for research and slows their career progression. As a result, fewer women than men hold senior academic positions. This was the major starting point for the discussions in Hanoi, where 30 Danida-funded women researchers from across the region explored the key issues facing women in research and began shaping courses of action to bring about long-term change.
Huong Thu Nguyen, PhD, VNU-USSH, Vietnam
From Tanzania to Vietnam. Building momentum across continents
The “More Women in Research” initiative was co-created by Danida Fellowship Centre, MS TCDC and YouLead Africa in Tanzania in March 2024, and it has since grown into a movement. The initial seminar brought together 50 women researchers from 12 African countries and culminated in the More Women in Research Manifesto, a powerful call to action to address the widespread underrepresentation of women in academia.
Later the same year, the launch of the manifesto took place at the YouLead Africa Summit in Tanzania in November 2024, where 300 youth leaders were gathered to discuss the future of Africa’s education.
In 2025, the initiative was taken to Vietnam. Dr Sylvie Namwase, lecturer at Makerere University in Uganda, joined the seminar there to share the African experience and present the manifesto. Her presence helped connect the African and Asian participants through common challenges and shared goals.
Four key challenges and ways forward
Throughout the seminar, participants explored themes such as gender-sensitive research design, funding and strategies for communicating and publishing research. The discussions on all of the topics highlighted how mentorship and support networks can shape career trajectories. Panels featured diverse perspectives from Asia, Africa and Europe, enriching the conversation with cross-continental experiences.
At the end of the seminar, participants highlighted several courses of action to strengthen women’s participation and leadership in research across Asia that had emerged in response to four interconnected challenges:
- How to address restrictive cultural and social norms that limit women’s roles and status.
- How to create stronger pathways to professional growth to prevent women’s academic careers from stagnating.
- How to engage men as allies and ensure that there are safe and empowering spaces for women.
- How to rethink and strengthen mentorship structures to support women researchers more effectively.
Furthermore, the responses to the challenges stressed the importance of working together rather than leaving it to individuals to sort things out for themselves. Key recommendations included setting up formal mentorship programmes, recognising mentorship in academic performance reviews, and making allyship a clear part of institutional culture and leadership. Read more about the courses of action and next steps here (link to document).
Sylvie Namwase (Uganda), Najmun Nahar (Bangladesh)
The critical role of mentors and allies
While the first cohort in Tanzania on the African continent focused on pulling away from “sticky floors” and breaking through “glass ceilings”, the second cohort in Vietnam, Asia reflected deeply on how women mentors and committed allies (especially male colleagues and institutional leaders) can and should actively shift power dynamics in research spaces.
Allies are essential in supporting women’s voices and addressing gender bias, and this is why involving men in this process is necessary. Creating more space for women in research is not just about helping women, it is about making research better for everyone.
Mentors play a key role. They are not only examples to follow, but they are people who can explain how academic systems work and can help others move forward. However, mentorship is not a clear-cut concept. Many researchers do not know what good mentoring looks like, whether they are giving or receiving it. That is why it is important to share knowledge and develop effective models of mentorship that work in different contexts.
We extend our thanks to all the participants, facilitators and the Danish Embassy in Vietnam for hosting us. We also extend our sincere appreciation to our partners, collaborators and the participants’ institutions, many of whom are currently conducting research projects funded by Danida.
Central Institute for Economic Management (Vietnam), Department of Anthropology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam), Development and Policy Research Center (Vietnam), Faculty of Public Health, Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Vietnam), Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry (Vietnam), Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (Vietnam), Mekong Development Research Institute (Vietnam), National Institute of Vet. Research (Vietnam), Research Institute for Aquaculture (Vietnam), University of Social Sciences and Humanities Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), icddr,b, Infectious Diseases Division (Bangladesh), University of Dhaka, Department of Microbiology (Bangladesh), Danish Institute for International Studies, Sustainable Development and Governance (Denmark), Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Copenhagen University (Denmark), University of Southern Denmark (Denmark), Nyan Corridor Research (Myanmar), School of Law, Makerere University (Uganda), Department of Political Science at UMass Lowell, Massachusetts (USA).
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