The Business Executive Group awarded the Merck Foundation CEO Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej for her efforts to empower girls’ STEM education at the Global She Achievers Award 2024 this month.
Senator Rasha Kelej has successfully led the Merck Foundation programs for the past 12 years. Dr Kelej says that Merck has worked closely with more than 24 Africa’s First Ladies as Ambassadors of Merck Foundation and with the Ministries of Health, Education, Information, Communication, Gender, Academia, Media and Art societies across fifty countries.
Commenting on the recognition of her work over the past decade, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, expressed her gratitude by wishing all women a Happy International Women’s Day.
“Firstly, Happy International Women’s Day to all the women in the world and to the men who support and empower them. It is a great honor to receive this award. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Business Executive Team for acknowledging our efforts over the past 12 years to empower women in STEM, support girl education and transforming public healthcare in Africa and beyond,” says Dr Kelej.
The Merck Foundation, together with First Ladies of Africa, marked the Women’s Day through a “More Than a Mother” campaign, in which Dr Kelej says “is a strong and unique movement that aims to empower women living with infertility stigma through access to information, education, change of mindset, and economic empowerment”.
According to Dr Kelej, the Merck Foundation is contributing to building and advancing fertility care capacity in Africa and Asia, to support childless women and couples. Over 535 of the total 1,730 scholarships provided to doctors from 50 countries in 42 specialties are for doctors in reproductive and sexual health and fertility care capacity with the aim to advance women’s health.
Interestingly, over 46% of the 1,730 scholarships (780) have been provided to women doctors.
Dr Kelej has been recognized as one of 100 Most Influential African Women for five consecutive years from 2019 to 2023. She has also been awarded the D.Litt Honoris Causa by Krishna World University, India for her outstanding achievement in the social sciences, justice and reform.
