Ayanna Samuels
Doctoral research fellow at Oslo Metropolitan University
As an MIT trained rocket scientist, technology policy expert and information and communication technologies for development specialist from Jamaica, with strong interest in diversity, equity and inclusion, my lived experience has shown me that women from the global south and more specifically the Caribbean, are still rare unicorns in decision spaces at the highest levels of technology, policy making and innovation. My research seeks to unpack, understand and make recommendations to arrest this trend. As a PhD Candidate in the Programme in Innovation for Sustainability at OsloMet, I pursue interdisciplinary research focused on promoting gender inclusive innovation ecosystems. My educational background is in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering with Information Technology at the Bachelor’s level and Aerospace Engineering and Technology Policy at the Master’s level. My research sits at the juncture of innovation, sociology, technology, gender, diversity, equity and development studies, making for a most inspiring interdisciplinary experience.
Tell us about your project!
Innovation is believed to be the sine quo non of significant wealth generation in an economy. The process of innovation, and the products and services which evolve from it, should integrate gender and diversity to reflect the pluralism and intersectional identities present in all societies.
Gender inequality in innovation has profound negative implications both from an economic and a sociopolitical point of view. However, little is known about how these inequalities germinate and how to combat them. This research proposes an anthropological approach to examining why gender inequality persists, particularly in technical realms and the means via which gender-balanced innovation ecosystems, key to achieving sustainable development, may be promoted.
Interviews will be conducted in distinct sectors, to ascertain how individuals perceive the state of gender equity and the factors which inhibit or promote gender equity. The end product will be a body of work which explores, from an empirical standpoint, the requirements for establishing gender inclusive innovation ecosystems.
“This research proposes an anthropological approach to examining why gender inequality persists, particularly in technical realms and the means via which gender-balanced innovation ecosystems, key to achieving sustainable development, may be promoted”
— Ayanna Samuels on her research project “Promoting Gender Inclusive Innovation Ecosystems”