Breaking barriers to women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Ethiopia
Programs and partnerships
Lead institution(s)
Summary
In Ethiopia, women are extremely underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Government data for 2013 showed that women constitute less than 10% of the engineering and technology research workforce.Read more
In Ethiopia, women are extremely underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Government data for 2013 showed that women constitute less than 10% of the engineering and technology research workforce. Recognizing that scientific and technological advancement requires more women in STEM, the Ministry of Education established several policies to increase female enrollment in STEM programs, increase the number of women in academic leadership roles, enhance scientific publishing by women researchers, and hire more women faculty. However, little is known about the effectiveness of such policies.
This research project, led by the University of Gondar, will generate evidence to assist the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia and three public universities (Bahir Dar, Debre Tabor, and Debark) to improve their policies to increase women’s participation in STEM programs, leadership, research, and employment. The research will identify and assess the impact of these policies; assess the barriers to women in STEM fields; and identify policy and practice changes to increase the participation of women in STEM.
This project was selected for funding as part of the call for proposals “Breaking systemic barriers to women’s participation in science”.
Research outputs
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Nations across the globe are striving to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is expected to play crucial roles in achieving these sustainable development goals. Unfortunately, most countries in Africa are not fully utilizing the potential of their entire population, including girls and women. The participation of women in STEM is paramount to improving women’s economic security and stability, ensuring a diverse and talented workforce, and augmenting national development efforts. With this understanding, countries like Ethiopia have taken policy measures intended to increase the proportion of women in STEM fields of study, employment, and leadership in higher education institutions. This study sought to understand if and how various policies implemented by the Ethiopian government have addressed gendered disparities in STEM in the country’s public higher education system.
