photos / Dany Samwel

Despite rapid advances in biodiversity research technologies, significant gender and geographic disparities persist in access to tools, training, and leadership opportunities. In East Africa, early-career women researchers face systemic barriers to engaging in biodiversity monitoring, ranging from limited exposure to technologies and mentorship to practical challenges like caregiving responsibilities and lack of funding. 

WILDLABS’ Women in Conservation Technology (WiCT) program directly addresses these gaps through structured training, mentorship, seed funding, and professional development. Now entering its fourth year, WiCT has supported 36 women through three successful cohorts in Kenya and Tanzania, with measurable impact on participants’ technical skills, leadership capacities, and career progression. Each year, the program receives nearly 200 applications, underscoring strong demand for accessible, relevant training in biodiversity data.

JRS funding will support a Women in Conservation Technology (WiCT) training course in 2026 for 20 early-career Tanzanian women in biodiversity research, selected jointly with JRS from the WILDLABS network. The program includes two intensive in-person workshops co-led by East African trainers and WiCT alumni, with hands-on sessions in biodiversity monitoring, spatial technologies, and research design. Between workshops, participants will engage in six months of structured virtual mentorship, peer learning, and training, culminating in seed-funded projects. As part of the course, each participant will receive a $500 grant to implement a biodiversity-focused initiative using newly acquired tools and skills. Data generated will be shared on open-access platforms like GBIF and iNaturalist. WILDLABS will track outcomes and share results to inform policy and global strategies, amplifying the voices and impact of women in conservation technology.

Talia Speaker is the Executive Manager of WILDLABS, the world’s leading conservation technology network. Based at WWF, she leads a global partnership and team working to accelerate the development, adoption, and scaling of innovations for conservation impact. Talia holds an MS in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management from Colorado State University and a BA in Organismal Biology from Scripps College, including wildlife management studies in Tanzania. Driven by her research on access and capacity gaps in conservation technology, Talia has championed initiatives within and beyond WILDLABS to close these gaps, including the Women in Conservation Technology program.