On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which is celebrated on 11 February, UNESCO’s Regional Office for Eastern Africa shines a spotlight on new research aims at strengthening gender responsive pathways from education to careers in applied STEM across the region.
The research entitled “Empowering Women in Applied STEM: Advancing Gender-Responsive Career Services in Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Technology” is led within the umbrella of UNESCO’s Campus Africa flagship programme by the UNESCO Nairobi Office in collaboration with the UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC).
Why Girls and Women Leave Applied STEM Courses
Early research shows that many girls and women exit applied STEM pathways at several critical stages, creating a persistent “leaky pipeline” from school, higher education to employment and leadership. These drop-off points appear during subject choice in school, the transition from undergraduate to postgraduate education, the move from education to work, and progression into academic or leadership roles. A lack of visible female role models and mentors within STEM departments further limits young women’s confidence and aspirations, especially in applied STEM fields connected to fast-growing labour markets.
Shared Barriers Across Diverse Contexts
Despite differences across Eastern Africa, the factors driving exclusion are strikingly similar. Gender norms and early stereotyping influence subject choices, while institutional cultures and weak support systems hinder women’s retention and progression.
These barriers are compounded for girls and women who face multiple layers of disadvantage. Geography, socioeconomic status, displacement, and other social identities intersect with gender, placing girls and women in rural, marginalised, or conflict-affected communities at even greater risk of exclusion. In fragile contexts, where insecurity, poverty, unintended pregnancy and early marriage limit educational access, participation in STEM becomes even more constrained, and already fragile transition pathways break down.
Focusing on Applied STEM for Development
The research places particular emphasis on applied STEM fields that are central to Africa’s development priorities, including agriculture, renewable energy, and technology. The research project is currently being piloted in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mauritius, and Rwanda, with plans to expand first to additional Anglophone countries and subsequently to Francophone ones. This phased approach allows the research to identify common structural barriers while still attending to country specific realities.
Insights from the study will guide regional dialogue with ministries and higher education institutions and shape targeted and informed interventions that better support girls’ and women’s transitions from education into applied STEM careers.
Amplifying Voices Behind Evidence
To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, UNESCO Nairobi Office is pairing research insights with lived experiences. Doreen Irungu, Founder of Ustawi Afrika, an organisation that empowers rural women in semi arid regions through agricultural programmes, alongside STEM students from across the region, shared her experience in a video.
In another video, Ahirirwe Leticia, a Youth Representative for the UNESCO-CFIT III project at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, explains how bridging the gap in knowledge and exposure has empowered students to innovate. Together, they share why girls and women’s participation in applied STEM is essential and highlight the types of support needed to help women enter, remain, and thrive in these fields.
From Access to Sustainable Career Pathways in Applied STEM Fields
The message is clear: expanding access to education is essential, particularly in underserved and fragile contexts, but access alone is not enough. Supporting girls and women to move from classrooms into applied STEM careers, and remain in them, requires deliberate investment in inclusive, flexible, and labour market aligned pathways. Strengthening these transitions is not a complementary activity; it is central to ensuring that educational gains translate into meaningful and equitable participation in the applied sciences shaping Eastern Africa’s future.
