More initiatives needed to inspire and equip young women to pursue careers in science, technology and innovation.
Across Africa, there is a growing push to prioritize investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, especially for girls who remain underrepresented in the field.
Ms. Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, World Bank's Country Director for Southern Africa, highlighted this urgency in her Opinion piece, Let's accelerate the women in STEM agenda today; tomorrow will be too late. She noted that despite the progress made, the representation of women in STEM subjects in the region was still critically low.
"There is still a gross underrepresentation of women in the STEM fields in Sub-Saharan Africa. The share of females graduating from tertiary education engineering fields is below 30% for many Sub-Saharan African countries. Consequently, scientific work and technological innovation are missing women's invaluable perspectives and critical contributions," she said.
In a rapidly growing global digital economy, Ms. Marie-Nelly emphasised: "It is imperative that deliberate policies are put in place to ensure all students have equal opportunities to acquire STEM-related competencies."
According to UNESCO, gender disparity, social norms, and institutional cultures, prevent many girls from pursuing careers in STEM. A 2024 UNESCO report 'Women's participation in higher education in Southern Africa: An exploration of STEM, leadership and enrolment in Institutions in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, reveals a stark gender disparity in STEM fields across the nine Southern African countries.
The report attributes this to institutional and societal barriers, as well as gaps in policy. In institutions of higher learning, the report reveals a distinct shortage of female presence in STEMS. It recommends campaigns to boost enrollment of girls in STEM courses and offering women and girls financial support to pursue these fields.
Indeed, increasing girls' representation in STEM in Africa will require targeted awareness creation, education initiatives, and adequetly equipping those pursuingcareers in science, technology and innovation.
Lydia Moyo's example
A leasing example is Tanzanian entrepreneur Lydia Charles Moyo whose NGO, Her Initiative, promotes girl's empowerment through technology.
Founded in 2019, the young women-led organisation provides education and skills for entrepreneurship and employment. It leverages technology to bridge the gender gap in Tanzania's digital landscape.
Ms. Moyo's initiative has not only shaped the response to underrepresentation of girls and women in STEM but has also contributed significantly to advancing digital inclusion and developing of strategies that connect technology and gender equality in Tanzania.
Her work as inspired national and global recognition. In April 2024 she was one of the six recipients of the Global Citizen Prize 2024, for fostering economic empowerment for girls and young women.
In June 2024, Ms. Moyo won the 2023-2024 KBF Africa Prize (by King Baudouin Foundation), in recognition of Her Initiative's work to unlock women's economic potential, tackle the youth unemployment crisis and accelerate economic and social development in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Case for Ghana
In Ghana, Larisa Akrofie, is using her platform, Lever in Heels, to amplify the voices of women in STEM.
Ms. Akrofie, however, says more investment in education, technical training, mentorship and scholarships will be key in overcoming the financial barriers that often limit African women's participation in STEM.
"To increase women's participation, we need quality education, vocational and technical training programs, mentorship and networking opportunities, as well as funding to overcome financial barriers." said Ms. Akrofie at an Education and Technology forum organized by MEST Africa, a Pan-African training program, seed fund and incubator for tech entrepreneurs.
