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By Amanda Obidike
I recently stumbled on a seminal article on the website of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), published on 6 February 2026, titled ‘Advancing gender equality in STEM education: Inspiring girls to pursue science’. The publication emphasised that Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are fundamental to sustainable development. Yet, women and girls continue to face barriers that limit their participation in these fields and represent only 35 per cent of STEM graduates.
On the other hand, UNESCO emphasised the need for “Making science accessible — not intimidating,” adding that it is helping to challenge stereotypes and remove systemic barriers that prevent girls from pursuing science.
Since 2018, I have been working in the STEM and technology sectors, especially as they relate to girls› and young women›s development in Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions. I started my STEM career journey a few years after graduating with a business administration bachelor’s degree in Nigeria and trying out jobs that I did not find interesting.
That decision to venture into STEM, almost eight years ago, culminated in my deliberate choices of higher education degrees and certifications in STEM and technology endeavours. And, more importantly, it has shaped the work I do today in impacting students, teachers, schools, and tech clubs, especially those in underserved communities, with STEM education, skills, and tools through my social enterprise, STEMi Makers of Africa.
At STEMi Makers of Africa, we are democratising technology and innovation access in African underserved communities by breaking down barriers to STEM education. Through this bold quest, we hope to empower a talent base of over two million young people with lucrative STEM skills for Africa’s workforce by 2030.
In the course of my work in STEM education, I have noticed that most young girls and women do not know or understand what STEM is about and the opportunities it presents to them. To shed more light on this, an article by Nazia Shah, titled ‘Women and innovation in STEM: The new deal for the future’, published on www.influentialwomen.com, will suffice.
Shah told us that the «new deal» for women in STEM is not simply about increasing participation; it is about creating pathways for leadership, innovation, and influence that shape the future of society. And the future of STEM innovation, she emphasised, depends on diversity of thought and experience, as well as talent, mentorship, sponsorship, and equitable access.
The stark divide between men and women in STEM inspired our mission to bridge the gap by shifting focus directly to the classroom. Over the years, we have implemented programmes and projects to achieve these objectives, in partnership with local and international actors.
Recently, we launched Project R.I.S.E. (Readying Instructors for STEM-AI Employment Skills), a transformative multiplier initiative designed to equip secondary school educators with the technical technology tools and competencies necessary to deliver future-ready learning and solve authentic community challenges, especially in African schools where purchasing expensive physical hardware kits remains impossible.
Project R.I.S.E. primarily focuses on secondary schools across countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Botswana, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, leveraging established partnerships with local educational boards. Spanning a long-term developmental vision, the initiative employs a train-the-trainer model to directly train 5,000 core teachers, who will subsequently cascade their knowledge to 16,500 indirect instructors, ultimately impacting over 400,000 students.
Before Project R.I.S.E., there was Project Kuongoza for sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions, which has continued to thrive as an expanding initiative dedicated to empowering women and girls through comprehensive mentorship, internships, job shadowing, and business accelerators, as well as fostering professional confidence, business acumen, and advanced technical proficiency. Over the past five years, the project has successfully supported thousands of women and awarded crucial micro-grants and resources to numerous women-owned businesses across multiple African countries, collaborating closely with regional ministries and community organisations.
Both Projects Kuongoza and R.I.S.E. share a similar approach rooted in the power of mentorship and leadership towards community support. However, while Project Kuongoza pairs esteemed women in the STEM space with young women aspiring to succeed or upskill in STEM careers through mentoring and role-model shadowing, Project R.I.S.E. connects trains teachers in STEM to serve as mentors and leaders to students as they build STEM-based projects.
What we have done and are still doing in the STEM sector for girls and women needs more exposure, support, and partnership. More research in this area is apt, and such research should translate to enforceable policies and practical actions.
The research work worthy of mention in this regard is by Uche Nweje and others, titled ‘Women in STEM: Breaking barriers and building the future’, published in 2025 in the International Journal of Science and Research Archive. The work explained how the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields has been a persistent challenge, hindering innovation and equity in critical disciplines.
What I found interesting about the work is how it explores the journey of women in STEM, examining the cultural, institutional, and personal hurdles they face while highlighting the progress made through policy reforms, mentorship programmes, and targeted initiatives. From addressing unconscious biases in educational settings to fostering supportive workplace environments, the strategies discussed in the work aim to ensure equal opportunities for women to thrive in STEM careers.
We at STEMi Makers of Africa encourage this kind of research work and other creative and technological endeavours that educate and empower girls and women in STEM. But organisations like STEMi, STEM researchers, and the schools cannot do it alone. The will and commitment of state actors are needed too. Therefore, African governments must establish robust public-private partnerships (PPPs) to ensure initiatives like Project R.I.S.E. achieve long-term sustainability.
I have always believed that gender equity and equality have important roles to play in STEM education and careers for sustainable societal and economic development. We must all contribute to a future where girls and women are no longer sidelined in STEM endeavours. The future of girls and women in STEM must be inclusive and innovative, and should stand as a testament to talent and diversity.
I must conclude this reflection by advising girls and women that breaking into the STEM and technology sectors requires clarity of purpose and a resilient mindset, so they should understand their core vision and motivations for entering the field. Building a sustainable career is a gradual journey that demands patience, continuous learning, and adaptability. Through mutual support and consistent dedication, young women can navigate the technology landscape with confidence, accelerate their professional growth, and establish rewarding, long-lasting careers in STEM.
• Dr Amanda Obidike, founder of STEMi Makers of Africa, writes from the United States.
