Presentation from the ICWES 15 Conference

1. Capacity Building in Science Technology
and Innovation Policy for Sustainable
Development in West Africa-The Role of
Women Engineers and Scientists
Peggy Oti-Boateng (PhD)
Senior Research Fellow
KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
SPS in Science and Technology,
UNESCO, Nairobi

2. Background
 SETI is essential for socio-economic
advancement and sustainable
development of Africa
 Women are most vulnerable with
limited access to basic needs and
technology
 Building the future through higher
education and SETI for women in Africa
is essential but a Building in STI-ICWES 15
Capacity
great challenge
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3. Statistics of women in science
engineering and technology in Africa
Ghana South Africa
60 56.2
55.7
100%
90% 50
Percentage of engineers
80% 38.9
40
70%
30 28.3
60%
50% 21.1
19
20 Bachelor Degree
40% Men
11 10.5 Masters Degree
Women
30% 10 7 7.1
6.7 7 Doctorate
4.8
3.8 4.2
20% 1.9 2.4
0.8
0
10%
0%
Race-by-gender distribution of graduates in
engineering per profession in South Africa
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4. Why few women
 Science and engineering are not
interesting or attractive to women
 Inequality in access to science and
engineering education
 No obvious career opportunities in
science and engineering
 Stereotyping
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5. Emerging issues/Challenges
 Unavailability of evidence-based
gender disaggregated data for policy
making
 Low participation of women higher
education and policy making
 Gender specific programmes deepens
level of isolation of women
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6. Objectives of ECOWAS and
UNESCO
 Facilitate capacity building in basic
science, engineering and technology
 Create requisite capacity in STI policy
formulation, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation
 Enhance SET application for sustainable
development.
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7. Strategic Actions
 Three approaches successful in
promoting women in SET in Africa are:
1. Mainstreaming women in capacity
building programmes
2. Gender specific activities and visibility of
women engineers and scientists
3. Training in STI Policy for sustainable
development
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8. Action Plan-Role of Women
Scientists and Engineers
 Promotion of women in science and
technology through increase access to
higher education
 Increase women’s visibility through
award of prizes or recognition for
outstanding performance
 Increase collaboration and networking
 Mentoring
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9. Action Plan
 Capacity building in STI
formulation, implementing and M&E of
strategic action plan
technology
Science
Innovation
STI for sustainable
development
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10. Role of women in science
engineering and technology in Africa
 Commission collection of gender disaggregated data
 Provide a forum for women scientists, engineers and
policy makers to deliberate on actions at all levels
using different modalities to accelerate the inclusion
of women in higher education and policy making for
sustainable development;
 Mentor young engineers and scientists
 Prepare a Strategic Action Plan for advocacy, capacity
building and policy making
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11. Way forward
 Must have centres of excellence for STI for
sustainable development
 Create or strengthen Gender units to increase
effectiveness and made beneficial to all
women
 Have SMART programmes and develop
partnerships
 Monitor and evaluation programmes (SMART)
 Provide mentorship to young female students
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12. THANK YOU
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