The low number of women in science is the result of an educational trajectory that disadvantages women from an early stage. While men and women enter the education system in near-equal numbers, social circumstances gradually reduce opportunities for women and steer them away from research, technology, and innovation.
For the past decade, the number of women working in science has not exceeded 2,500 per year, representing less than one-third of the number of men annually, according to data compiled by Expansão from the statistical yearbooks of Angola’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESCTI).
Statistics from the last 10 years show an average of only 2,000 women in science each year, including those involved in research, technology, and innovation. However, the figures also indicate signs of progress, with the number of women rising from 1,142 in 2014 to 2,503 in 2024 (see infographic).
Despite this growth, the gender imbalance persists. In 2014, seven out of every 10 higher education lecturers were men, while only three were women. By 2024, women accounted for just two out of every 10 lecturers. Although the overall number of women in academia has grown at a faster pace, the situation in science remains markedly different. Over the past decade, the number of women in science has consistently remained below that of men.
According to experts, the low participation of women in science in Angola is a consequence of challenges that begin early in the educational journey, where girls are often the most disadvantaged from primary school onwards. In other words, boys and girls start their education in similar numbers, but social circumstances gradually weaken women’s participation and distance them from scientific fields.
Source: Expansão
