Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
UNESCO reports that gender equality in science is vital not only for social inclusion but also for economic sustainability in Africa. Leaders including H.E. Ambassador Liberata Mulamula have stressed the urgency of closing gender gaps in scientific fields.
Research led by Prof. Adama Sow Badji at Université Cheikh Anta Diop utilized an econometric model to measure the economic benefits of gender parity in education. A 10% increase in higher education investment for women yields a 12.8% rise in national GDP and a 14% increase in the tertiary education sector in sub-Saharan Africa.
The report estimates that ongoing gender disparities cost sub-Saharan Africa about $105 billion annually. These losses are attributed to barriers like insufficient gender-disaggregated data in national planning and widespread sexual harassment affecting nearly half of women scientists globally, which hinders their career advancement and scientific output.
The report concludes that Africa’s low scientific productivity is not due to a lack of talent among women but is constrained by institutional inertia.