Every year, the University of Pretoria (UP) observes International Women’s Day on 8 March, and this year, it is supporting the global call to action to #BreakTheBias in all spheres of life.

UP academics Professor Irma Eloff and Dr Kgadi Mathabathe are two women from diverse backgrounds who are working together to do just this within communities, by spearheading the South African leg of the research project Teach4Reach. The initiative explores how teacher education programmes in the Global South and the Global North can be leveraged to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Project leader Prof Eloff is a professor of Educational Psychology at UP and an adjunct professor at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. In 2012, she was recognised as one of the three most influential women in business and government in South Africa in the Education category. She is a former Dean of Education at UP and was the first woman to hold this position.

Her colleague Dr Mathabathe is the Deputy Director of Academic Development in UP’s Department for Education Innovation. She has supervised research at postgraduate level, focusing on collaborative learning and enquiry-based science education. Dr Mathabathe has published in high-impact factor journals and has more than 10 years’ experience training pre- and in-service science educators in higher education.

Together, this formidable duo coordinates the Teach4Reach initiative, which sets out to raise awareness about the SDGs among teachers and teacher educators; craft future-focused research agendas on quality education, gender equality, reducing inequality, and good health and well-being; build international collaborative networks to support the SDGs; and support scientific knowledge development on the SDGs in the education domain.

The project is the outcome of a collaboration between African and Austrian universities, and has received tremendous feedback from all over the world. Academics have shown enthusiasm through consistent participation and engagement in webinars, despite the time differences. The project has also nurtured a community of policymakers, educators, and young, up-and-coming researchers.

Teach4Reach was created as an inclusive project, encouraging the participation of people across the gender spectrum. During its initial stages, the project’s funders felt that priority must be placed on capacitating women researchers, thus providing an opportunity for early-career female academics to grow. “I myself have benefitted and grown in my own career by working closely with Prof Eloff, who has a wealth of knowledge and experience,” Dr Mathabathe says.

While education is a highly feminised sector, this intentional approach to inclusivity is much needed and relevant in academia, as there is still room for improvement. Not many women are seen to occupy leadership roles within research teams. Prof Eloff recounts the outcome of a Scandinavian study of gender equality in academia. “Works written by women are read more; however, works written by men are cited more,” she says. “Additionally, editorial boards tend to be dominated by males.”

Prof Eloff believes that men have a role to play in improving the experience of women academics by expressing support and opening doors to opportunities. “Male and female friendships should be encouraged within the work environment; it is here that open doors come about,” she says. Men can also instil confidence in the women they work with by allocating them meaningful tasks and allowing them to lead. “Often women are given tasks such as event coordination, yet women and men have the ability to take on diverse roles and responsibilities,” Dr Mathabathe adds. Both remark that one must remain sensitive to gender prejudices and pursue equality in academic spaces.

Prof Eloff urges women in academia to support one another and increase the literacy levels of young women, as this has proven to raise the life expectancy and earnings of entire families. “I encourage women to trust their instinct,” she says. “The greatest advice that I have been given was to work with people who I truly resonate with.”

Dr Mathabathe advises early-career academics to trust themselves and not be afraid of taking responsibility. “Be confident and collaborate with others.”

For those who would like to get involved in Teach4Reach, there is an open invitation to join the next webinar on 11 May: https://www.uibk.ac.at/projects/teach4reach/.

More information can be found on their website: https://africa-uninet.at/en/projects/call1/p008-south-africa/

Additional links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkp9Wcq0J1A

https://vigna.univie.ac.at/en/locations/university-of-pretoria/teach4reach-virtual-event/

https://www.futureafrica.science/index.php/what-s-happening/news/283-teach4reach-project-exploring-the-synergies-between-teacher-education-programmes-and-the-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs