Women in Engineering Education and Careers in Benin and Ghana

The Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) in collaboration with the Ghana Institution of Engineering, College of Engineering at the KNUST and the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin launched the “Women in Engineering Education and Careers in Benin and Ghana” Project at the Erata Hotel, Accra on 1st October, 2020.

The general objective of the project is to contribute to bridging the gender gap in engineering in Ghana and Benin through original research and policy recommendations.

The three year research will assess trends in female enrolment and participation in engineering courses and careers over the last 40 years and identify systemic barriers that limit participation of females and under-represented groups in engineering courses and careers. Recommendations will be developed into strategies that will facilitate the elimination of the identified barriers.

The Vice-President of the GhIE, Ing. Harold Esseku and the President of Women in Engineering, Ing. Dr. Mrs. Enyonam Kpekpena made statements at the launch and pledged their support and the support of the Institution and members to make it a success. The principal investigator and project leader, Dr. Rose Omari of CSIR-STEPRI and her team presented the strategy for undertaking the study. She pledged to work closely with the Institution to ensure the GhIE gets the maximum benefit of this project so the percentage of women in the GhIE increases from the current level of 7%. The enrolment figures for females have doubled between 2016 and 2020 and it is expected to increase further as a result of the study. The project is funded through the International Development Research Center by the Canadian Government.