Unlocking the potential of FEMALE EDUCATION leaders 

Women must have more leadership opportunities and roles to improve society for us all. Whilst this is not unique to education, academia can set the bar.

Universities and colleges are places where women can gain leadership skills and roles:​

• Female role models in universities and colleges can inspire new generations of young people to be leaders.​

• Mentoring and networks within universities and colleges and beyond can unlock the power of female leadership.​

• Scholarships can develop students and educators into leaders.​

This counteracts unconscious gender biases: transforming society so that it works better for everyone.

There needs to be more evidence about the role of universities and colleges in equipping women with leadership opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa. We are filling this evidence gap: supporting university and college leaders to champion female leadership within their institutions. 

What we have done so far

We worked with a consortium of partners, including the African Association of Universities (AAU) and the Ghanaian Government's National Council of Tertiary Education (NCTE), to lead a study on higher education staff and academics in Ghana. We found that only 8% of professors at public universities were women across the whole of the country.

This, coupled with the country’s need of 5 times the current number of professors to meet its booming student population, shows the need for more female leaders is urgent.

In Nigeria, the situation is similar, with only 17% of principle officers at universities being female. 

Across sub-Saharan Africa, 2.5% of vice-chancellors are women and 5% of CEOs are women. Women make up 43% of those who receive tertiary education but hold 28% of formal sector jobs (McKinsey Global Institute. 2019). Only 24% of academic staff in tertiary education across sub-Saharan Africa are female (UNESCO, 2019). 

We are researching this topic alongside female leaders from across Africa, including holding focus groups and interviews.

Our African Evidence Research Database profiles African-led research, including female academics. Out of 2510 researchers in our database, only 32% are female. Our work to raise the profile of academics in Africa has a focus on ensuring women can gain funding and exposure.

We have also created a database called the 'African Scholarships Hub' to support young people in sub-Saharan Africa to find scholarships and funding.

We are building a coalition of universities, colleges, and organisations with expertise in women's leadership. Together we will co-create solutions based on the evidence we find through our research. These solutions will address the barriers women face and inform education policy and delivery in universities, colleges and beyond.