The Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) has used the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, observed globally on February 11, to spotlight the progress and persistent challenges in female participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Ghana, disclosing that 168 of the 608 students its scholarship programme has graduated represent women who are now contributing to previously male-dominated industries.
The day, established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2015 and observed on February 11 each year, was marked this year under the global theme From Vision to Impact: Redefining STEM by Closing the Gender Gap. In Ghana, the Ghana Education Service (GES) commemorated the occasion on February 11 under the theme GirlsInTech: From Vision to Impact, organised in partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Experimento Ghana and PEN.
GFGF, the social investment arm of the Tarkwa and Damang gold mining operations, said its scholarship programme has supported 608 students to graduate in STEM-related disciplines since inception, with women accounting for 168 of those graduates, representing 27 per cent of the total. The foundation described the figure as encouraging but acknowledged it underscores the need for sustained and targeted investment to close the gender gap in science and technical education.
The foundation operates its programme in host communities surrounding the Tarkwa and Damang mines in the Western Region, providing access to tertiary education in fields including mining engineering, information technology, environmental science and other technical disciplines. The initiative is described as a deliberate intervention to build a pipeline of local graduates capable of contributing to both the mining sector and the broader Ghanaian economy.
Beyond scholarships, GFGF has implemented structured mentorship programmes, career guidance platforms and confidence-building initiatives aimed specifically at girls. One flagship programme was a three-day STEM workshop held in October on Ada Lovelace Day, an annual global event celebrating women’s contributions to computing and technology. The workshop engaged final-year Junior High School students from the Tarkwa and Damang communities under the theme Empowering Tomorrows Through STEM, combining motivational talks, interactive sessions and career exploration activities designed to deepen girls’ interest in science at a formative stage of their academic development.
The initiatives align with four of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 4 on Quality Education, SDG 5 on Gender Equality, SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 10 on Reduced Inequalities.
According to UNESCO, women comprise less than one third of the world’s researchers globally, a figure that shrinks further in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and cloud computing. In Africa, women represent between 25 and 28 per cent of Masters and doctoral graduates in STEM fields, according to African Development Bank (AfDB) data, although their share of undergraduate STEM enrolment is considerably higher.
In Ghana, the GES event on February 11 brought together students, educators and development partners for a project exhibition of science work led by girls, with students from four schools in Accra participating actively. GES Deputy Director-General Professor Smile Gavua Dzisi urged girls to envision themselves at the forefront of scientific innovation and called on male students to actively champion female peers in STEM environments.
GFGF said it reaffirms its commitment to creating broader pathways for girls in science and technology, describing the women who have graduated through its scholarship programme as proof that equal opportunity translates directly into achievement and leadership when the structural barriers to access are removed.
