The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) has revealed that women are still under-represented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) majors.
Speaking during a STEM Boot Camp of Excellence in Nairobi, EBK CEO Eng. Margaret Ogai said that only 22% of women enrolled in STEM courses in universities and only 11% of registered professional engineers in Kenya are women.
She noted that in order to bridge the gap, EBK had sponsored the Boot Camp, mentoring 300 students from 26 schools in informal urban settlements at Nairobi Primary School.
Eng. Ogai highlighted a growing interest in STEM in the country, “At least 30% of girls are now choosing sciences. With 27,000 engineers registered, there’s a need for more to support Kenya’s STEM-focused policies,” she said.
According to recent Kenya National Bureau of Standards (KNBS) data, only 30% of STEM professionals in Kenya are women.
“Many girls still shy away from pursuing STEM careers due to these persuasive stereotypes, inadequate support systems to encourage them to explore their interests in STEM this is the reason why EBK has been holding such Boot Camps,” she said.
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The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) indicates that globally women make up over half of all students who have enrolled in tertiary education, but they remain considerably less likely to choose STEM fields.
In 2018–23, new UIS data released for the 2024 GEM Gender Report show that women made up only 35% of STEM graduates, showing no progress over the past ten years.
By Obegi Malack | obegimalack@gmail.com
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