Ideas & Debate

Why fewer Kenyan women enrol for, complete science and engineering

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A graduation ceremony at Egerton University. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Globally, the percentage of women pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is small. In Africa, the numbers are even more dismal.

The greatest imbalance is in engineering. In 2010 only one in four engineering students was a woman. Guinea had the lowest percentage of women in science (5.8 per cent). That’s equivalent to one in 17.

Two countries did extremely well on gender parity in STEM disciplines: Lesotho (55.7 per cent) and Cape Verde (52.3 per cent).

In Kenya, STEM participation shows a clear gender disparity ranging from 30 per cent to 35 per cent. Fewer women participate and even fewer complete their studies. In addition, their graduation scores are low compared to those of males. This is a situation true of both developed and developing countries.

The number of women earning university STEM degrees declines as they move through the educational ladder, a phenomenon referred to as the “leaky pipeline”. This can be attributed to the masculinity of the disciplines, stereotypes and associated prejudices.

In Kenya, the female participation rate at public universities is less than 30 per cent in spite of existing educational gender policies and interventions. My study sought to document female participation in STEM disciplines at Kenyan public universities between 2009 and 2013 and the factors at play.

The findings revealed that institutional and socio-cultural barriers contributed to poor performance of female students in these disciplines. These included gender stereotyping, sexual harassment and family responsibilities.

Three public universities were selected for my study on the basis of their strong STEM orientation. Interviews were carried out with third-year female students and teaching faculty in STEM disciplines. Senior administrators in charge of gender policies were also interviewed to ensure fairness.

The study established that female students faced numerous challenges. Female students who became pregnant were subjected to penalties such as losing on-campus boarding privileges. This is significant because STEM disciplines are highly interactive and require students to spend more time on campus doing practicals and laboratory work.

None of the institutions have policies for ensuring nursing female students are retained within campus residence. They also do not offer child care programmes for nursing mothers who are students. This forms a barrier. Others are forced to drop out.

More than 50 per cent of STEM female respondents indicated they have to balance their studies with family chores and childbearing.

A majority (56 per cent) of the female respondents agreed that venturing into STEM disciplines would negatively affect their job prospects whereas 13.0 per cent disagreed. A higher number (58 per cent) believed that pursuing STEM disciplines would hinder progression at work because of the perceived stereotypes related to STEM careers.

The sentiments were confirmed during the interviews and focus groups. There, six out of eight discussants concurred that venturing into STEM disciplines negatively affected their future life in terms of job opportunities, promotion at work, getting a spouse and family life.

The respondents agreed with the sentiment that stereotypes are transmitted through verbal language, content of curriculum and the general organisation of teaching space.

Most societies see female STEM students as intruders into a male domain. They are treated like outsiders, seen as masculine, misplaced and face rejection by family and friends.

Yet there are rewards for those who dare: high ability women have more options than high ability men do. As authors Stephen J. Ceci and Wendy M. Williams write in their book The Mathematics of Sex: How Biology and Society Conspire to Limit Talented Women and Girls, women are far more likely to be equally talented in both maths and verbal domains simultaneously, giving them more options to enter non-maths fields than are available to men.

Equal access to scientific and technological knowledge and skills by women is first a rights issue, in as much as education is a basic human right. Knowledge and skills gained through the study of STEM facilitate efforts to eradicate poverty, achieve food security, fight diseases, improve education and respond to the challenges of society.

The government should also complement existing policy interventions, which begins with gender responsive mathematics and science policies at basic levels of education.

In collaboration with universities, the government should enhance specific financial aid programmes with clear policies that support female students from poor families.

Wandiri is lecturer in Educational Foundations, coordinator PGDE and Content Enhancement Programmes, Kenyatta University.