Marking International Women’s Day 2025

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany together with First Ladies of Africa who are also their Ambassadors, Ministries of Health, Education, Communication & 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!

Empowering girls and women is at the core of all our initiatives and programs at Merck Foundation. I recognize the immense potential of women to thrive, succeed and excel in any domain they choose, yet they often lack the conducive environment to fully realize their capabilities, especially in underserved communities.

Therefore, together with our Ambassadors, The First Ladies of Africa, we mark International Women’s Day every day since the last 13 years through our development programs and initiatives such as ‘More Than a Mother’, ‘Merck Foundation Capacity Advancement’, ‘Educating Linda’, and ‘STEM Program’. »

« Merck Foundation More Than a Mother » is a strong movement that aims to empower infertile and childless women through access to information, education and change of mindset.

“I am thrilled to share that out of the 2,250 scholarships awarded across 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties, 1048 scholarships, that is nearly 50% have been granted to female medical graduates, empowering them to become future healthcare experts and leaders.

I am especially proud that we have awarded over 701 scholarships to young doctors, dedicated to advancing women’s health by strengthening reproductive, sexual health, and fertility care capacity.”