African Women Lead in STEM Graduates Globally, but Lag in Tech Leadership and Funding
Study shows that 47% of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates from African universities are women...
✨ Key Highlights
A new McKinsey report reveals that African women lead globally in STEM graduates, making up 47% of the total, yet face significant barriers in career advancement and access to funding within the tech sector.
- African women hold less than 20% of executive technology roles and receive only 1% of start-up funding on the continent.
- The report identifies three critical "leak points": transition from education to employment, progression barriers within organizations, and limited access to capital for women entrepreneurs, with 12% citing premature exit due to stagnation or family duties.
- Recommendations include partnering with universities to align STEM curricula, offering mentorship, conducting pay equity audits, and expanding financing for women-led ventures, as full gender parity is still over a century away in Africa.
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