Women in engineering education and careers in Benin and Ghana (WEEC-BG)

Abstract

This project sought to build robust evidence from Ghana and Benin on the nature of systemic barriers to the participation of females in engineering education and careers. In both countries, some policies and programmes have contributed to closing the gender gap in STEM education and careers, for example, in the biological sciences. The field of engineering, in both countries, still has low female representation. Thus, the general objective of the project was to contribute to bridging the gender gap in engineering education and careers in Ghana and Benin through primary data collection to make evidence informed policy recommendations. The specific objectives were to: (1) assess the trends in female participation in engineering courses in the higher education contexts of Ghana and Benin and careers over the past three decades, (2) identify the systemic barriers that limit the participation of females in engineering courses and careers, and (3) propose recommendations that can later be developed by the institutions under study into strategies for eliminating the barriers.