Introduction

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is home to a significant number of female academics who aspire to develop successful careers and achieve a leadership position. Despite their strong motivations, and the increased focus on equity, diversity, and inclusivity (Gladstone et al., 2022) in African academia, this group of scholars continue to experience significant gender-based inequalities. These include slower promotion rates, under-representation in senior roles, lower earnings, limited access to research funding and lower publication rates (Kraemer-Mbula, 2020; Mabokela and Mlambo, 2017).

Existing research highlights the multifaceted nature of these challenges (Kaymakcioglu and Thomas, 2024). Published studies (Kyaligonza et al., 2016; Kayumba and Laurens, 2022; Omotoso, 2022; Prozesky and Mouton, 2019) have highlighted the role of patriarchy, the legacy of colonialism and personal and institutional challenges, such as balancing work and family life, in the ability of African female academics to successfully attain leadership roles.

Although research on the challenges faced by female academics in SSA is growing, a significant gap exists in understanding the specific experiences of those striving for leadership positions within technical universities in the region, including those of STEM female lecturers in Ghana. Current research has centred on the experiences of African female academics in traditional universities, overlooking the unique context and organisational culture of technical universities. These institutions, which emphasise applied research and industry collaboration and which focus on several traditionally male-dominated fields, present unique barriers. 

These challenges need to be examined in light of the changing higher education landscape in Africa, one which is driven by internationalisation, and which results on intensified pressure on female academics to successfully ‘publish or perish’, a criterion needed to secure promotion.  In response to these challenges, and as a way to mitigate research colonialism, researchers from the Global North have delivered innovative writing workshops and mentorship programmes (Kilmarx et al., 2018).  While these strategies aim to strengthen the research knowledge and skills of African academics, there is limited research on their use to redress gender imbalances.  

The project

The ‘Addressing Female STEM Lecturers’ Underrepresentation in Leadership in Technical Universities in Ghana’ project (Jan 2025 – March 2026) is a qualitative study, with an interdisciplinary scope, led by, co-designed by and with the participation of female Global North and South scholars. It draws on the collaborative partnership between the School of Education at the University of Nottingham (UoN), Ho Technical University in Ghana and the Association of African Universities (AAU) and is supported by funding from the British Council’s Going Global Partnerships programme. Through semi-structured interviews and a sponsored writing workshop for 30 female STEM lecturers and 10-month mentorship programme, we aim to give voice and develop the skills of a small group of female STEM lecturers in Ghanian technical universities who work in different STEM disciplines and who have experienced difficulties in securing a leadership position due to their limited research output.

This project aims to:

1. explore the experiences of female STEM lecturers in Ghanaian technical universities in attaining a leadership position
2. identify the macro and micro level processes that perpetuate the inequities they face in academia
3. examine the impact of capacity-building strategies, including writing workshops and mentorship, in addressing gender-based obstacles
4. put forward recommendations to redress disparities and achieve gender equity in technical universities in Ghana

The project is designed to primarily benefit women by addressing systemic barriers hindering their career advancement in STEM fields within Ghanaian universities. Some of the expected benefits for female STEM lectures in Ghanaian technical universities include increased leadership opportunities, enhanced research and career development skills, greater visibility and recognition within their institutions, and amplified voices in shaping policies that promote gender equality. The project could lead to more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities in technical universities in Ghana, greater diversity in decision-making processes, and a shift towards a more collaborative and inclusive academic culture.  

The British Council's Going Global Partnerships programme

The British Council Going Global Partnerships supports universities, colleges and wider education stakeholders around the world to work together towards stronger, equitable, inclusive, more internationally connected higher education, science and TVET. Through international partnerships, system collaborations and opportunities to connect and share, the British Council enables stronger transnational education, more collaborative research, higher quality delivery enhanced learner outcomes and stronger, internationalised, equitable and inclusive systems and institutions. This leads to stronger higher education, research and TVET systems around the world that can support fairer social and economic growth and address national and global challenges – all backed up by mutually beneficial international relationships.

Partners

Ho Technical University

Ho Technical University (HTU) is a publicly funded university in Ghana, with a mandate to train highly competent human capital to the highest level possible through career-focused education, skills training and research, in partnership with stakeholders. Ho Technical University started as a technical institute in 1968 with the primary objective of providing pre-technical education. However, in 1986, the institute became a polytechnic. The passage of the Technical Universities Act 2016 (Act 922) as amended by Act 2018 (Act 974), gave Ho Technical University the mandate to award degrees, diplomas, certificates and other qualifications to the highest level in engineering, science and technology based disciplines, technical and vocational education and training, applied arts and related disciplines. Its vision is to become a hub of practical education and innovation advancing sustainable global development, and its mission is to develop highly competent human capital through career-focused education, skills training, research and innovation in partnership with stakeholders. As a leading technical university, HTU has been actively working towards creating a more inclusive academic environment. Acknowledging the importance of gender equity, the university in 2022 set up a dedicated Gender Affairs Office, which plays a crucial role in implementing gender policies, advocating for female representation and addressing challenges that hinder women’s career progression within the university. 

In terms of faculty leadership, HTU has taken concrete steps to advance gender equity. Prior to becoming a university, the institution had a female Vice-Rector in 2012/13. The university, in 2024, promoted its first female associate professors, and both occupy very significant offices in the university. Additionally in 2022, the university appointed a female dean of students affairs, a significant achievement in promoting female representation in leadership roles within the institution. For two conservative times, the Office of International Programmes and Institutional Linkages in the university has been headed by female academics and they exhibit quality leadership in this position. We have a history of female leadership in other office space, both in the teaching and the administration fields. 

It is noteworthy that beyond faculty and administrative female leadership, HTU also supports initiatives that encourage women’s participation and professional growth in male-dominated fields. One such initiative is the Women in Engineering (WINE) Association, which provides mentorship, networking opportunities, and advocacy for female students and faculty in engineering. 

The Association of African Universities (AAU)

The Association of African Universities is an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation created by African universities to promote cooperation among them on the one hand, and between them and the international academic community on the other. It is headquartered in Accra, Ghana, has a membership of more than 450 higher education institutions, and three regional offices – the North Africa Regional Office (NARO) in Cairo, Egypt; East Africa Regional Office (EARO) in Khartoum, Sudan; and the Southern Africa Regional Office in Zimbabwe (SARO) as well as continental offices hosted in Europe, USA, Latin America among others.

Established in 1967 and serving as the voice of higher education in Africa, the AAU aims to improve the quality of African higher education and strengthen its contribution to Africa’s development by supporting the core functions of higher education institutions and facilitating critical reflections and consensus-building on issues affecting these institutions. Taking the lead to drive women and young girls’ equal participation in the higher education sector has been prime on the agenda of the Association of African Universities (AAU). 

The promotion of gender equality is firmly rooted in the AAU’s current strategic plan. Continuous advocacy among African universities to prioritise gender mainstreaming in STEM and in other fields remains priority on the AAU’s focus areas. It continues to organise high level conferences, commission research studies and promotes the work of the Women in Higher Education Network (hosted by the AAU), among various other interventions. 

Investigators

Principal Investigator

Dr Alicia Bowman

Dr Bowman's research is interdisciplinary and is strongly situated in the field of gender studies. She is research active and recently completed an internally funded research project on the gendered experiences of female academics in Sub-Saharan African universities. She currently lectures at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and has experience supervising postgraduate students.  She also has experience with capacity building initiatives and is mentoring a small group of early career researchers as part of a British Academy Writing Workshop. 

 

Project Deputy and Senior Editor

Professor Juliet Thondhlana

Professor Thondhlana has wide-ranging experience teaching, researching, and publishing and is a member of several editorial boards. She has led and managed both small and large impact projects in Sub-Saharan Africa including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe on topics such as gender and education; decolonisation; organisational and research cultures in universities in Africa; research and grant writing and publishing in Africa; refugee education; educational policy development; entrepreneurship and internationalisation of education and development.  She is also the UNESCO Chair in International Education and Development and the coordinator of the Association of African Universities Europe Regional Office. 

 

References

• Gladstone, J., Schipper, L., Hara-Msulira, T. and Casci, T. (2022). Equity and Inclusivity in Research Funding: Barriers and Delivering Change. University of Oxford
• Kilmarx P.H. and Glass R.I. (2018). Building global health research capacity to address research imperatives following the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS Med, 31(8). 
• Kanyumba, B. and Lourens, M. (2022). Career development for female academics in Australian and South African universities. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), 11(2), 391-401.
• Kraemer-Mbula, E. (2020). Gender diversity and the transformation of research excellence. In Transforming Research Excellence: New Ideas from the Global South. African Minds.
• Kyaligonza, R., Kimoga, J., & Nabayego, C. (2016). Funding of academic staff’s research in public universities in Uganda: challenges and opportunities. Makerere Journal of Higher Education, 7(2), 147-162
• Mabokela, R. O., & Mlambo, Y. A. (2017). Access and equity and South African higher education: A review of policies after 20 years of democracy. Comparative Education Review, 61(4), 780-803. 
• Omotoso, S. (2022). Five barriers to middle-level academic leadership for female academics in Nigerian higher education. Journal of Higher Education in Africa, 18(2), 77-98. 
• Prozesky, H., and Mouton, J. (2019). A gender perspective on career challenges experienced by African scientists.  South African Journal of Science, 115(3/4).