- Merck Foundation and African first Ladies mark International Day of Girls & Women in Science 2026 by empowering women in STEM and supporting girl education
- Dr. Rasha Kelej, Merck Foundation CEO together with The First Ladies of Africa mark ‘International Day of Girls & Women in Science 2026’ through their ‘Scholarship Program’, ‘MARS Awards’ and ‘Educating Linda’ Program
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, marks ‘International Day of Girls and Women in Science 2026’ together with the First Ladies of Africa, and partners including African Ministries of Health, Education, Gender & Information and Academia through their “Scholarship Program” and “MARS Awards”.
Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.), CEO of Merck Foundation emphasized, “As we mark the International Day of Girls and Women in Science 2026, we reaffirm Merck Foundation’s strong commitment to empowering women in science and technology through our “Scholarship Program”, as a part of which we provide specialized medical scholarships to African women healthcare providers, and through the “MARS Awards”, through which we recognize and empower outstanding women scientists in STEM.”
Merck Foundation has provided more than 2,500 scholarships to healthcare professionals from 52 countries across 44 critical and underserved medical specialties, and nearly 1,200 scholarships have been provided to women medical graduates.
“I am proud to that nearly 50% of our total 2500+ scholarships have been provided to women healthcare providers. This is a significant achievement toward reducing the gender gap in science and strengthening women’s leadership in STEM as while women have made remarkable progress globally, they remain significantly underrepresented in scientific and technological fields. At Merck Foundation, we work every day to bridge this gap.” Added Dr. Rasha Kelej.
Merck Foundation annually launches their MARS Awards to encourage and recognize ‘Best African Women Researchers’ and ‘Best Young African Researcher’. The aim of MARS Awards is to empower women and young African researchers, advance their research capacity and promote their contribution to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Merck Foundation has celebrated more than 90 winners s far.
Recently Merck Foundation CEO hosted the virtual Award Ceremony together with their partners Africa Reproductive Care Society – ARCS and Manipal University to recognize African Researchers for their valuable research work and contribution to empowering women and youth in STEM in Africa with special focus on ‘The Role of Scientific Research in Women Health and Reproductive & Fertility Care’. She also announced the Call for Applications for MARS Awards 2026.
Watch Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit MARS 2025 Award Ceremony video here: https://www.youtube.com/live/RtIiZp-amrM
Apply for MARS Awards 2026: https://merck-foundation.com/Merck-Foundation-Africa-Research-Summit-Application-Form
Merck Foundation strongly believes that Education is one of the most critical areas of women empowerment and serves as the base and key factor in driving an impactful change.
“As a part of our Educating Linda program, together with my dear sisters, the First Ladies of Africa, we have year to date provided more than 1200 annual scholarships to deserving yet underprivileged African schoolgirls from 19 countries, enabling them to complete their education and reach their full potential,” shared Dr. Kelej.
Moreover, Merck Foundation is raising awareness about the importance of supporting girls’ education through a range of creative initiatives, including inspiring children’s storybooks, animation films, awareness songs, and dedicated episodes on this theme through their Our Africa by Merck Foundation TV program.
Watch episodes of Our Africa, focusing on Supporting Girl Education:
Episode 2:
Episode 11:
Episode 14: