Accra: Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany together with First Ladies of Africa who are also their Ambassadors, Ministries of Health, Education, Communication and Gender, mark International Women's Day 2025, through their impactful development programs, continuing their 13-year legacy of empowering women and girls. Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and One of the Most Influential African Women for Six Consecutive Years (2019 - 2024) expressed, "Happy International Women's Day to all the remarkable women and girls around the world!"
According to African Press Organization, empowering girls and women is at the core of all initiatives and programs at Merck Foundation. Dr. Rasha Kelej recognizes the potential of women to succeed and excel in any domain they choose, although they often lack the environment to fully realize their capabilities, especially in underserved communities. She highlighted that over 680 scholarships have been awarded to young doctors dedicated to advancing women's health by strengthening reproductive, sexual health, and fertility care capacity.
Dr. Kelej emphasized the importance of education as one of the critical areas of women's empowerment. Through the Educating Linda Program, Merck Foundation and their ambassadors are contributing to the future of over 700 girls by providing scholarships and essential school items in many African countries such as Botswana, Burundi, Malawi, The Gambia, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Namibia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cabo Verde, and more. The foundation has also reached thousands of girls through awareness campaigns featuring inspiring songs, children's storybooks, animation films, TV programs, and awards aimed at promoting girl education for women's empowerment.
Merck Foundation is also actively empowering women in Science and Technology through its STEM Program and the annual Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit (MARS) Awards. These initiatives recognize and celebrate the best African women researchers and young African researchers, fostering research excellence. Dr. Kelej reiterated their goal to empower women and young African researchers, enhance their research capacity, and promote their contributions to STEM.