Participation in Science, Technology, and Innovation: Where are the African Women?

Why Science, Technology, and Innovation Are Important for Resource Development

The importance of science, technology, and innovation (STI) for sustainable development and peace building in Africa cannot be emphasized enough. The quest for natural resource control is one of the major causes of civil unrest and conflict in most African countries. The continent accounts for three-quarters of the world's platinum, half of its diamond and chromium, and one-fifth of the world's gold and uranium supply. Many African countries are fast becoming home to major oil and gas production sites, with about 20 countries now producing crude oil.

STI is important for the discovery, exploration and transformation of the natural resources in the continent to finished products. African leaders realizing the need to transform Africa from natural resource based to a knowledge based and innovation led economy through massive investment in STI adopted the Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2024). For STISA 2024 to achieve his mission the gender disparity between men and women in Africa especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses and professions must be addressed; this is because STEM training forms the bedrock for producing scientists, engineers and innovators that will drive the continent STI agenda.

The Role of the African Woman

Women account for over 50% of the available human resources in Africa. In order for the continent to achieve its goal of transforming Africa to a knowledge based and innovation led society, it must maximize the inherent potential of the African woman. Research has shown that higher female earnings and bargaining power in Africa translate into greater investment in childhood education and health and nutrition. This in turn leads to economic growth and development in the long term.

Despite the clamor for increased female participation in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related courses and professions, there seems to be a slow uptake in STEM activities when compared to other fields of study by women, not just in Africa but in most parts of the world. Research shows that of all European female PhD graduates, 25% studied social sciences, business or the law; 14% humanities and art; 8% engineering, manufacturing and construction; and 4% agriculture and veterinary science. In the United States, the percentage of female graduates in the fields of physics, engineering and computer science was less than 30% in 2010. In African universities, women make up only 13% of those studying chemistry, 10% of those studying medicine and 6% of those studying agriculture.

Societal beliefs and learning environments affect girls' interests in mathematics and science. In Africa, one major reason for gender inequality in math and science education is a child's early environment. Boys and girls are brought up under different settings. Parents are more likely to raise their sons based on qualities that will help them succeed in the working world, and to raise their daughters based on emotional qualities. Boys, therefore, tend to be brought up to be independent and solution driven, while there is a propensity to call on girls to be subservient and affectionate. Thus, the important tools in STEM classes which include discussions, problem solving, and laboratory exercises tend to be more in sync with the environment boys are used to.

The methods of teaching STEM courses in most schools are also gender biased; a girl can find it difficult to integrate into such an environment. Most math and science teachers are male, math and science books used in most schools are written by men, and the examples and illustrations of scientists in these text books are also gendered. All these factors affect girls' interest in math and science.

In addition, the issue of differences in cognitive ability based on sex, particularly in mathematics, remains hotly contested. One area of gender difference where cognitive abilities are disputed is spatial skills, which are believed to be important for engineering and other scientific fields. There is the belief that boys perform better on tasks using spatial orientation and visualization while girls outperform boys on tasks relying on verbal skills. However research has shown that similar up-bringing and simple training improves spatial skills.

African women also have particular challenges- including traditional norms and beliefs that women should be responsible for taking care of the children, elderly and sick- which reduce their chances of going to school. Sexual and reproductive health issues also affect female education in Africa. About 530,000 African women die every year from childbirth and about 80% experience complications during pregnancy. Healthy women stand a better chance of completing school and pursuing STEM related activities and subjects.

Recommendations for Increasing Female STEM Participation in Africa

To address the issue of female participation in STEM fields in Africa, there should be gender mainstreaming in STI policies and strategies in African countries. Policies should take into account customs, tradition, and the particular needs of women in the region. These policies should include gender-based affirmative action, which ensures appropriate representation of women in national, regional and international decision making bodies and forums. The educational curriculum from elementary classes to the university level should also be reviewed to remove gender bias and give equal opportunity to both boys and girls. Gender awareness training in the form of workshops and in-service training for science and mathematics teachers should be an important part of the school curriculum in African countries.

There should be increased mentorship and sponsorship programs for girls in STEM fields. Increasing representation of female role models is a potential way to promote interest in mathematics and science for girls. Female scientists in Africa should be celebrated so they can serve as role models for the next generation. Networking amongst female scientists in Africa should be promoted through publications, meetings and virtual discussion groups. This will promote collaboration with fellow scientists and also create new opportunities to make it easier for the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and information.

In order to assess the role of women in STEM fields, research needs to be conducted that collects and analyzes gender disaggregated data for informed policy decisions. There should be proper monitoring of policy and strategy implementation. The constraints and progress of the policies and strategies should be documented, and best practices should be identified through impact assessment and evaluation. Finally, there is the need to launch local, regional, and national campaigns to raise awareness about the important contribution of women to science, technology, and innovation in Africa. All stakeholders in Africa, from families, schools, and communities, to government and non-governmental organizations, should be involved in charting a new era of development for African women. This can only occur by being gender-sensitive in all endeavors and thereby helping to increase women participation in STEM fields on the African continent.

Photo Courtesy of John Hogg/World Bank via Flickr.