Background

The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental body based at the offices of TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, in Trieste, Italy.

The idea of setting up a third world organization for women in science was first discussed at the "Conference on the Role of Women in the Development of Science and Technology in the Third World" which was convened by TWAS and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in Trieste from 3 to 7 October 1988.

The participants of the conference – including 218 leading women scientists from 63 developing countries – recommended that a study group be set up to explore the possibility of creating the organization.

The group was subsequently formed, and at its meeting in Trieste from 20 to 22 March 1989 it decided to establish the then named Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) and to adopt a constitution for the organization.

TWOWS was officially launched in Cairo, Egypt, on the occasion of its First General Assembly, a major conference convened from 10 to 13 January 1993 and generously supported by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS).

The Second General Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1999 was generously hosted by the Foundation for Research Development (FRD) [now NRF] and the Department of Arts, Culture and Science & Technology of South Africa (DACST) [now DST].

The Third General Conference in Bangalore, India, in November 2005 was generously hosted by the Department of Science and Technology, DST, Government of India, in collaboration with the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Research (JNCASR), and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) Regional Office, Bangalore.

The  Fourth General Conference in Beijing, China in June 2010 was generously hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.  This conference produced the Beijing Statement.  Pictures and information from the conference are available:  Results of the TWOWS Fourth General Assembly and International Conference; and at Beijing Conference: Documents and articles.

OWSD is the first international forum to unite eminent women scientists from the developing and developed worlds with the objective of strengthening their role in the development process and promoting their representation in scientific and technological leadership.

Cairo Conference, 1993	Cape Town Conference, 1999	Bangalore Conference, 2005	Beijing Conference, 2010

Objectives

•  Increase the participation of women in developing countries in scientific and technological research, teaching and leadership;
• Promote the recognition of the scientific and technological achievements of women scientists and technologists in developing countries; 
• Promote collaboration and communication among women scientists and technologists in developing countries and with the international scientific community as a whole;
• Increase access of women in developing countries to the socio-economic benefits of science and technology;
• Promote participation of women scientists and technologists in the development of their country; and
• Increase understanding of the role of science and technology in supporting women's development activities.