8.3. Challenges and Gaps CASE STUDIES ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 266

Policy reforms: Many countries incorporate science, technology and innovation in their national development agendas, as well as in their education sector plans.2134 Several countries (Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda and Zimbabwe) have adopted national policies in this regard. The National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2013–2022 of Gambia aims specifically to foster entrepreneurship among youth and women to enhance their employability.2135 Under the 2013 ICT Policy for Malawi, the government shall mobilise financial resources for the implementation of ICT programmes for women and youth in coordination with NGOs and development partners (Policy Statement 5.)2136

Institutional reforms: Some countries have undertaken institutional reforms. Eswatini established the Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation within the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology in 2014.2137 Burundi, DR Congo, Gabon and Rwanda have introduced ministries devoted to scientific research within their respective governments.

8.3. Challenges and Gaps

Throughout the Decade, across Africa, governments adopted policy and legal reforms that address the goals of the AWD on education, science and technology. Several countries have adopted education sector plans, policies, laws and strategies aimed at promoting and ensuring equity and equality at the secondary and tertiary levels. Other countries have made constitutional provisions on providing free education at all levels, or up to the secondary level.

Several countries have introduced free secondary education; others have partially removed educational fees. In 2017, Ghana introduced free secondary education and removed fees for admissions, libraries, science centres and computer laboratories, and the country will provide free textbooks, boarding and free meals.2138 Malawi and South Sudan have introduced scholarships, loans and/or bursaries for girls at the secondary level.2139 In Somalia, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education introduced Tertiary Scholarships for Young Women Students to improve access and retention at this level.2140 In Gambia, there are plans to provide scholarships to women and girls enrolled in mathematics and science at higher and tertiary education institutions.2141 Others countries have addressed concerns associated with transportation and safe and affordable housing. The 2018 Eswatini National Education and Training Sector Policy notably aims to ensure students have a secondary school within 7 km of their home,2142 and the Chad Intermediary Education Sector Plan 2018–2020 includes transport subsidies.2143

Many countries address the stigma and discrimination girls face in accessing education at secondary and tertiary levels through policy, legal and institutional mechanisms. The education sector plans of Niger and Somalia include awarenessraising campaigns sensitising government, community, religious and traditional leaders on the importance of girls’ education. Other countries have taken steps, though legislation or policy initiatives, to ensure pregnant girls cannot be suspended from or forced to leave school, and to facilitate their re-entry. In 2013, the Constitutional Court of South Africa found that a school’s policies violated learners’ human rights and stigmatised the learners.2144 In 2019, the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice declared that the ban in Sierra Leone, preventing pregnant girls from attending school and sitting for exams, violated girls’ right to education and was discriminatory.2145 ECOWAS also found the Sierra Leonean government in breach of local and international laws, particularly the African Charter.2146 After the Court’s ruling, the government of Sierra Leone announced that it would introduce two new policies, focusing on Radical Inclusion and Comprehensive Safety. In 2020, the government of São Tomé and Príncipe overturned a Disciplinary Act that had prohibited pregnant girls in the third month of pregnancy from attending classes or school activities and mandated them to attend night school until the end of their pregnancy.2147 The removal of the Act is seen as an essential step in gender equality and in investing in girls.

To encourage girls and young women to take more interest in science, information, communication and technology, Malawi, Rwanda and Senegal have launched national Miss Math, Miss Science and Miss Geek competitions.2148 Other

countries have introduced scholarships for girls in the scientific fields. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Egypt organised a conference to raise awareness of Egyptian women and girls and the role of ICT to help them overcome their challenges.2149 Academic and research institutions in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Republic of Congo Uganda will implement a variety of strategies to address barriers female scientists face on the national and regional levels.2150 To help combat myths that women are less capable than men in ICT, Rwanda promotes women leaders in the ICT and innovation sectors, who serve as important role models and mentors.2151 Steps such as these have had a positive impact on women in science.2152

While many notable reforms took place during the Decade, some gaps and contestations remain in meeting AWD Goal 4. Girls and young women face social, cultural, economic and institutional barriers and challenges in accessing education at the secondary and tertiary levels. Despite reforms undertaken during the Decade, several constitutions do not include the right to education in general, or at the secondary and tertiary levels specifically. Policy, legal and institutional mechanisms tend to better address barriers to achieving parity and retention for girls and young women at the secondary level than they do at the tertiary levels.

Despite the development of national, regional and continental initiatives addressing economic, social and cultural barriers and challenges, girls and young women continue to drop out or do not attend school owing to financial constraints, pregnancy or early marriage. In 2015, the government of Tanzania introduced free secondary education, However, the policy removed fees and contributions only partially: families are still required to cover exam fees and costs for uniforms and textbooks.2153 While scholarships and the partial removal of fees help reduce the financial constraints, they risk marginalising vulnerable groups, such as impoverished students, girls and students with disabilities.

Despite the prevalence in illiteracy among the adult female population, few countries have adopted and implemented national strategies on literacy and campaigns specifically aimed at improving the literacy rates of women through adult education. Although many constitutions guarantee the right to education, few include provisions on eradicating illiteracy and providing free adult literacy programmes. Lack of attention to improving literacy levels of women denies them their right to education and the opportunity to improve their situation.

The lack of strategies aimed at promoting women in the scientific fields, addressing their challenges and recognising their contributions represents a noticeable gap. There are a few policies on science, technology and innovation, some of which include “gender-related objectives aimed at promoting women’s participation in science.” These policies are rarely implemented, however. Female scientists are less likely to hold leadership positions with significant responsibility, as persistent gender biases and stereotypes are often embedded in the institutions of employment. Absence of mentoring programmes, professional support and gender-friendly policy frameworks is often cited as an example of why it is challenging to attract and retain women scientists.2154