Women academics from Ethiopia

"It’s amazing how the brain works and the body responds"

"We climbed trees running for cover, thinking that they were going to bomb us, But instead it was pamphlets that rained down, a sign the new military government wanted the protesting students on its side. “It was one of the most exciting moments for me,”"

"The future seemed vibrant. It was the best time of our lives"

"When you hear your name, you have to jump and run. If it’s death, you run to death. And if it’s release, it’s freedom you are running to.”"

"it is true that through loving conduct, love becomes a practice, not an abstract entity that one constantly craves after”."

"I am reminded of the importance of seeking out and amplifying voices like hers—voices that challenge us to see the world in new ways, to question the status quo, and to commit ourselves to the difficult but necessary work of building a more just and humane society."

"Violence is not always overt or easily identifiable; it can be structural, systemic, and insidious, woven into the fabric of society in ways that make it difficult to see and even harder to dismantle"

"Crafting narratives that accurately reflect these realities requires not only a deep understanding of the issues at hand but also a commitment to ethical storytelling that respects the voices and experiences of those most affected by violence and domination."

"Trees tell us a lot about climate and ecological history, because they are the oldest living things on the planet and can live up to 4000 years."

"At the moment, we have many, many indigenous trees in the tropics, but we are selecting very few for restoration – we’re mostly planting exotic trees like eucalyptus, grevillea, and cypress."

"Because in temperate regions, you have clear climate seasonality – in winter, everything is dormant – so the growing period is very well-marked."

"The formation of this working group is just the beginning. It’s a platform for identifying the methods, sampling techniques."

"Trees are like people. Some species, some are opportunists. In good times they spend and grow like crazy. Some really conservative they grow better in difficult years. And the conservative tree could better cope with climate change."

"I have learned how farmers have changed in the last ten years. They are open and keen to use new technologies."

"We do not expect the Africa RISING project to establish on farm demonstrations or reach all the farmers in the village at once, and we also know the project will terminate after few years. But if you could train a few farmers, introduce improved varieties, technologies in the next few years others will follow in adopting the technology, we will have access to purchase seed and seedlings from our fellow farmers so this is what we expect from the project."

"It is a great honour for me to return to K-State, an institution where I benefited from, and learnt the value of partnerships in science."

"I witnessed the daily struggle of communities trying to eke a living from their land while fighting a losing battle with pests and other factors."

"I feel extremely fortunate to be recognised by many organisations from different parts of the world."

"I am always aware that my personal efforts have been backed by immense support by researchers, graduate students, other staff, partners, my family, and global partners."

"It is a great privilege to receive an award that combines two of my passions: science and agriculture."

"Much of my scientific career has focussed on using molecular tools to address agricultural constraints."

"I have been continually inspired by the possibility of changing the lives of farmers, moving from a vicious cycle of struggle to a virtuous one of prosperity."

"While icipe generates high quality, world class knowledge, the Centre’s most authentic strength is the success in transforming livelihoods of numerous endusers including farmers."

"Ask Africa—Can Agribiotech Make the Difference."

"They are there everywhere, small and big."

"I consider myself very blessed and fortunate."

"I'm hyper, It's difficult for me to sit and relax."

"I read a lot of biographies."

"Life is always a lesson Every day, I learn from everybody."

"It takes a village to raise a child, as our African sayings go... and it takes a global village to generate a successful scientist."

"Without enough food everything else slides down the priority list. That is why I chose to study agricultural sciences."

"I realized when I was in my first year of university that lifting people out of poverty first and foremost begins with modernizing agriculture and providing access to nutritious and adequate food to all. That is the basis and building block for any development and progress."

"Being back in my continent and working to solve production, environmental and health constraints facing my fellow Africans is very rewarding and fulfilling."

"People can positively respond to skills, experience and knowledge, and anything else can be made irrelevant."

"Gender inequality is a global phenomenon, and I am not immune to that. I think in my case, race played more than gender and when the two are combined, they have a compounded effect. However, I worked very hard to make these “two issues” be eclipsed by my skills, strong work ethics, delivery and a strong track record. It is possible to overcome these through hard work and excellence."

"Careers in science can be taxing and highly demanding especially when you must raise all the funds you need to do the job. It requires dedicating long hours to work. However, it is exhilarating and rewarding."

"You can use science to solve the most critical problems faced by society. You save lives, you improve the quality of life, you tackle environmental issues and so on. What other profession can be more rewarding than this?"

"We need to boost women's participation in graduate programs at MSc and PhD levels and provide support and well-planned strategies for a career path and growth."

"I give advice all the time...Some of the advice includes: not to despair when experiments don’t work (that is why you do the experiment, to figure out how to do it and to find answers); that science is very rewarding; that you can create a fulfilling career in science and do the things you love to do and contribute to society; that science knowledge is empowering and uplifting; that women are meticulous scientists; that you can balance work-family demands; believe in yourself and in your capacity to be a brilliant scientist, be assertive..."

"The value of investment in science and the appreciation of scientists cannot be overemphasized for our well-being and that of our planet."

"you can do it!” You are truly capable! You are going to accomplish it for sure! You are going to excel.” This was a great ingredient injected in my blood to motivate my soul in everything I do"

"As the saying goes success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration. This taught me that life is not always a straight-line and that challenges are the way to move forward in life as it would have been very boring otherwise"

"Ofcourse as part of the human element there are individual differences in pursuing goals, but I always tried to pursue the best in whatever that comes to my table which is an added value and a cumulative result to my success today."

"I believe women not only here but all over the world face double and triple-fold challenges due to societal, cultural and other baggages."

"Passion in my view is to do the best you can in whatever position you are in. Since childhood I used to do things only that feel comfortable to my soul and the biggest one was knowledge; knowledge about mathematics, the universe, science, nature and so on, therefore as a young girl I was confused which one to choose to pursue my education further, because everything seemed equally fascinating. However, as I grew up, I started to focus on one because I understood that I cannot be a master of all."

"Therefore, first a woman has to stand and feel comfortable in her own feet/skin and then when facing challenges she should take a wise decision. A woman should avoid dependency at any level, which does not mean she doesn’t have to request for support. What I mean is she needs to thrive and die trying so that she knows the thickness of her skin"

"Explore how our privilege, identity and power shape inequality and encourage students to tap into their humanity first and foremost when faced with decisions that can either widen or narrow those inequalities."

"I am deeply honored to join the extraordinary GH5050 Advisory Council that is guiding the work of a small but mighty GH5050 team working relentlessly to make gender equality the norm through evidence, action, and accountability."

"I have always been a person who speaks up about things that matter. To me, what has always mattered in addition to patient care and research and teaching, is social justice. At Michigan, a university where social justice is core value, I was able to learn how much can be accomplished through collaboration with people in every corner of the university."

"Professor Ryan’s course helped shape how I think about bioethics in my day-to-day work and the career path I’ve ultimately chosen to follow. The students at SIU are the future doctors and lawyers who will determine the landscape of health care and justice in our country. They will inevitably be faced with daily ethical quandaries that will have real impact on whether people live or die, whether they thrive or struggle. That is a tremendous amount of power."