Background According to WHO only 25% of women in the health workforce are in senior positions. Underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in biomedical research has contributed to gender bias in research questions, study designs, and outcomes. In 2019 IAVI published a report on factors inhibiting women’s careers in STEM in Africa with the Academy of Sciences and developed a framework to enhance gender transformative processes in HIV biomedical research.

Methods Building on its previous work, IAVI conducted an operational study across nine of its partner clinical research centers (CRCs) in Africa to understand the barriers and enablers for growth in leadership in 2022. A gaps assessment was conducted through a cross-sectional survey and key informant interviews of male and female staff from nine African partner CRCs in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Zambia.

Results Out of the 58 respondents, 65.6% agreed that recruitment at their institutions demonstrate gender parity, but the distribution across disciplines does not necessarily represent gender balance. According to 50%, leadership positions at their institutions are representative of institutional gender make-up. 75.8% agreed that their institution would benefit from additional resources and training for on gender equity and inclusion issues. Key influences women researchers’ career choices associated growth in leadership included family responsibilities, socio-cultural biases casting women in supportive roles, unawareness of networking opportunities, and personal perceptions on leadership abilities.

Conclusion Recommendations from the needs assessment are being used to develop targeted strategies to address structural, institutional, and individual mindsets and promote a gender transformative environment within IAVI’s CRC partner network under the leadership of a technical working group. The strategies will include awareness creation and sensitization in the workplace, targeted programs including coaching, mentorship and peer learning, as well as targeted support to women enhance women’s participation in networking and learning opportunities.