{"id":8888,"date":"2026-04-08T17:42:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:42:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=8888"},"modified":"2026-04-08T17:49:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:49:26","slug":"message-from-ceo-of-merck-foundation-senator-dr-rasha-kelej-on-providing-1050-scholarships-out-of-their-2230-scholarships-for-women-doctors-as-part-of-their-women-empowerment-efforts-marking-inte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=8888","title":{"rendered":"Message from CEO of Merck Foundation, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej on providing 1050 scholarships out of their 2230 scholarships for women doctors as part of their Women Empowerment Efforts – Marking International Women\u2019s Day 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Together with my dear sisters,\u00a0the First Ladies of Africa and Asia<\/strong>, we celebrate women every day through our “More Than a Mother”\u00a0campaign<\/strong>\u2014a testament to our commitment to empowering women in general, and infertile women in particular, who face infertility stigma, by providing access to information, education, change of mindset, and economic empowerment.<\/p>

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I am also very proud to share that out of the total\u00a02,230 medical scholarships provided across 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties, 1,046 scholarships<\/strong>, that is nearly 50%, have been granted to female medical graduates, as part of our Women Empowerment Mission.\u00a0Merck Foundation\u00a0\u201cMore Than a Mother\u201d campaign<\/strong>, launched in 2016, is a powerful campaign that defines interventions to build quality and equitable\u00a0Reproductive and Fertility Care Capacity, Break Infertility Stigma, and Raise Awareness about Infertility Prevention and Male Infertility.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

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I take great pride in the work we do at Merck Foundation to build and enhance fertility care capacity across Africa and Asia, supporting childless women and couples on their fertility journey. It brings me immense joy to share that, to date, we have provided over 680 scholarships in Embryology, Fertility, and Reproductive Care to young doctors from 39 countries<\/strong>, improving access to women\u2019s health.<\/p>

Many of our alumni are trained to be the first local experts in their countries, where they never used to have local embryologists or fertility specialists before our program, such as The Gambia, Burundi, Guinea, Chad, Niger, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Malawi, Congo, and more.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

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Together with African and Asian First Ladies, and other important partners, we are making history and reshaping the landscape of fertility and reproductive care across Africa and beyond.<\/p>

We also support childless women by helping them start their own small businesses. It is all about giving every woman the respect and support she deserves to lead a fulfilling life, with or without a child.<\/p>

According to the WHO, over 180 million couples in developing countries<\/strong><\/em>\u2014one in every four\u2014struggle with infertility. In many African cultures, infertility carries a deep social stigma, with women often bearing the sole blame for the inability to conceive. The societal pressure and judgment associated with childlessness frequently lead to isolation, discrimination, and ostracization, and, in many cases, result in divorce or even physical and psychological abuse.<\/p>

As part of the \u201cMore Than a Mother\u201d campaign, Merck Foundation has introduced several Community Awareness Programs<\/strong>. We have trained more than 3,500 media representatives from more than 35 countries to raise awareness and break the stigma around infertility and infertile and childless women.<\/strong><\/p>

Merck Foundation, in partnership with Africa\u2019s and Asia\u2019s First Ladies, has also launched the \u2018More Than a Mother\u2019 Children\u2019s Storybook and Animation Film<\/strong> to emphasize strong family values of love and respect from a young age, which will reflect on eliminating the stigma of infertility and the resulting domestic violence in the future.<\/p>

Watch the Merck Foundation Animation Films to Support Girl Education:<\/u><\/strong>
Ride into to Future:<\/strong><\/p>

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