CONTRIBUTORS
Peter Muriuki Gatheru
Project Officer
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), women remain vastly underrepresented in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Despite accounting for 15% of the global population,
SSA produces comparatively low research outputs and even fewer research scientists. Within this
already limited pool, women researchers are in the minority, holding just a third of all leadership
positions in science and technology. The picture becomes even bleaker in higher education, where
female vice-chancellors lead less than 3% of universities. These disparities raise serious concerns
about whether women’s voices are being adequately represented at decision-making levels in the
region.
Recognizing the urgency of addressing these gaps, APHRC, in collaboration with the Inter-University
Council for East Africa (IUCEA), launched an initiative to promote gender equity in postgraduate
STEM education. This effort, initiated in 2020, sought to examine the supervision and mentorship
experiences of women in STEM programs in East Africa, with the ultimate goal of fostering inclusive
and effective academic environments.
The study spanned five East African countries – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi –
drawing on the unique convening power of IUCEA. Together with APHRC, IUCEA facilitated
connections with universities across the region, enabling the researchers to explore perspectives of
students, staff, and research leaders through online surveys and interviews. The study also included
focus group discussions with women who held postgraduate STEM qualifications, allowing for in-
depth insights into their lived experiences.
From the data collected, both positive and negative trends in supervision and mentorship emerged.
On the positive side, respondents spoke of supervisors who not only guided their research but also
understood the complexities of their personal lives, offering emotional and academic support.
Supervisors who were empathetic to the challenges of balancing family responsibilities, such as
pregnancy and caregiving, were noted as being instrumental in ensuring progress and success.
Effective mentors, too, played a pivotal role in building trust and providing encouragement, helping
women advance both personally and professionally. However, systemic challenges were just as
prevalent. Many women reported difficulties with supervisors, whose expertise did not align with
their research areas, creating barriers to meaningful guidance. Instances of sexual harassment and a
lack of sensitivity to gender-specific challenges further compounded their struggles, creating an
environment that often felt unsupportive and discriminatory. In terms of mentorship, misaligned
expectations, insufficient engagement, and lack of time investment from mentors were cited as
recurring issues.
Armed with these insights, APHRC and IUCEA brought together stakeholders from across the region
to co-create a gender-lensed supervision and mentorship framework. The framework was designed
to address the unique challenges faced by women in STEM postgraduate training, with strategies
tailored to institutional, national, and regional contexts.
Key elements of the framework include clear execution and management guidelines for supervision
and mentorship, capacity-strengthening initiatives to equip mentors and supervisors with gender
sensitive approaches, and governance structures to monitor and enhance the framework’s
implementation. Stakeholder engagement was prioritized throughout the process, ensuring that the
resulting framework reflected the needs and aspirations of the diverse institutions involved.
The gender-lensed supervision and mentorship framework is a strategic step toward addressing
long-standing inequities in STEM education in East Africa. By embedding gender-sensitive practices
into postgraduate training programs, the framework aims to create an environment where women
can thrive academically and professionally.
More than a theoretical model, the framework has practical implications for institutions looking to
standardize and improve supervision and mentorship practices. It empowers universities to adopt
strategies that foster inclusivity and collaboration, paving the way for more women to take on
leadership roles in STEM and contribute meaningfully to research and innovation in the region.
As SSA continues to strive toward global development goals, ensuring women’s full participation in
STEM is not just a matter of equity but also a critical driver of progress. With initiatives such as this,
APHRC and IUCEA are laying the groundwork for a future where women in STEM are not just
participants but leaders, shaping the research landscape in East Africa and beyond.