Abstract:

Scoping exercises of current literature/research currently is being conducted by members of the Examining Gender in Higher Education (EGHE) network, in relation to issues affecting women’s participation and success in Higher Education (HE) in network members’ countries. Funded by a grant from the United Kingdom’s Economic and Social Research Council, the network involves a collaborative partnership between academic and activist colleagues with interdisciplinary expertise based in Scotland and Africa.

Scoping work focuses in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and also more broadly on issues related to gender and higher education in member countries as part of the EGHE network’s activities, in order to produce findings of relevance for policy makers and practitioners, and to identify and develop further key areas for future research collaboration. One key area of concern which has already been identified is participation and success of women students at university in all subjects including STEM. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations cannot be realised unless women and girls are involved in all areas of development and global issues including their participation in STEM subjects (UNESCO, 2014). World Economic Forum report (2016) suggests that women continue to remain under represented among STEM graduates for which the global gender gap stands at 47%, with 30% of all male students graduating from STEM subjects.

The work of the network members in scoping research literature of relevance to their national contexts is in its initial stages, and is expected to reach conclusion in the summer of 2018. The author has actively participated in scoping exercise in multiple African contexts. Hence this paper will outline key emerging issues that have emerged from the author’s initial research in relation to access, participation and role models. Presentation will include the following: (a) Issues affecting admission into HE for women students, including those studying STEM subjects – including issues of support and encouragement, the importance of role models, and the influence of wider gendered expectations as to the appropriateness of certain subjects/study for girls and women (b) The importance of looking at participation and success for different groups of women, for example differences relating to age, socio-economic status and geographical location and (c) Initial thoughts relating to patterns of similarity and difference comparatively across African countries.

Keywords:

Higher Education, STEM, Access, Participation, women students, women and girls, Role Models, Examining Gender in Higher Education, Sustainable Development Goal.