Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) drive innovation and economic growth. The more people engaged, the greater the potential for breakthroughs in medicine, climate change and renewable energy. Despite this, in the Nile Basin, including Uganda, STEM fields remain male-dominated, and women pursuing these disciplines encounter deep-seated cultural and structural obstacles.
Winnie Biira’s story exemplifies the cultural hurdles Ugandan women face. Initially directed toward humanities by a system discouraging women from technical fields, Biira’s passion for engineering persisted. With parental support, she switched to a STEM curriculum, marking the first step toward her engineering career.
In Uganda, cultural stigmas discourage women from physically challenging jobs. Biira, 25, defied these societal expectations, excelling in a field where climbing poles and working on transformers are routine. Her success challenges stereotypes and proves that women can thrive in what are often considered “men’s jobs.”
“Engineering is not inherently discriminatory; one can work in various capacities and locations, proving that flexibility and adaptability are essential for success,” Biira asserts. She credits her achievements to her commitment, noting, “My passion for engineering and determination have helped me overcome the challenges and gender stereotypes in the field.”
Alice Otto, a 57-year-old mathematician, also confronted cultural biases. Ridiculed for choosing mathematics—a subject traditionally deemed suitable only for men—Otto faced intense scrutiny. “They said, ‘Why choose the path of men? Women should teach language, not mathematics,'” she recalls.
Alice Otto
“Most female learners fear mathematics because of negative attitudes and beliefs.”
Her challenges continued as she entered teaching. “When I first joined, I was assigned a primary six class with big boys who intimidated and harassed me. This made my early days difficult,” Otto shares. However, through perseverance, she became a respected educator and mentor to the next generation of female mathematicians. Otto’s emphasis on encouragement, love, and support has been crucial in uplifting female students in mathematics. “Most female learners fear mathematics because of negative attitudes and beliefs. As a mother, I stay close to my learners, offering them love; that’s why they excel.”
Biira and Otto’s stories serve as powerful counternarratives to the belief that STEM is a male domain. Yet, personal determination alone cannot dismantle the systemic and cultural barriers that prevent more women from entering these fields. Broader societal changes are imperative.
Women in STEM face systemic challenges in education, policy, finance, and pharmaceuticals. Tackling the root causes within each of these areas is essential to ensuring women’s full inclusion in STEM.
The journey begins with education. In many Nile Basin countries, educational systems still steer girls away from STEM, reinforcing gender biases through curricula and classroom practices. Winnie Biira’s initial placement in a humanities track reflects a broader systemic issue where girls are not encouraged to pursue technical fields.
Dr Alice Veronica Lamwaka
“Ironically, we have the solutions but lack the resources to implement them.”
Achieving gender equality in STEM requires comprehensive reforms. Educational curricula must be revised to eliminate gender biases, allowing students like Biira to pursue their interests in STEM from an early age. A gender-inclusive curriculum that does not reinforce socialised gender roles but promotes parity instead is essential. This includes removing textbooks and learning materials that convey gender biases and replacing them with content that highlights female role models alongside their male counterparts.
These reforms must also consider Uganda’s broader social context. Pressures like early marriage, pregnancy, and the absence of female STEM role models deepen inequality. Eliminating gender biases among teachers is another crucial step in fostering female students’ interest in STEM.
Uganda’s journey toward gender equality in STEM also requires making these fields more engaging and accessible for girls. Research from Mbarara University of Science and Technology on the gender gap in STEM among students in rural Uganda suggests enhancing students’ soft skills and employing gender-responsive teaching and digital tools. Creating supportive home and school environments that encourage girls in STEM is essential to overcoming stereotypes and boosting participation.
While education lays the groundwork, supporting women in their STEM careers through strong research networks is essential for long-term success. Research networks significantly impact women’s careers, leading to professional advancement. The study Experiences of Female Scientists in Research Networks in STEM Fields in Public Universities in Uganda highlights how both formal and informal networks are vital in fostering career growth and helping women overcome barriers in STEM.
A further step in dealing with the root causes of exclusion is recognising the interconnectedness of systemic challenges. Structural intersectionality explains how various forms of oppression do not exist parallel to each other; instead, they reinforce one another, deepening their impact on affected individuals and groups.
Dr Alice Veronica Lamwaka, a pharmaceutical researcher at Gulu University, led a team to develop Covylice-1, a potential COVID-19 treatment from local herbs. Dr Lamwaka’s work also includes developing a traditional medicine for sickle cell disease. Both drugs hold great potential but lack funding for clinical trials. This funding gap prevents the validation of herbal products and their compliance with international standards, consequently limiting access to global markets.
This lack of access is rooted in the interplay of three patriarchal systems: gender, pharmaceutical, and financial. These systems collectively undervalue and marginalise female contributions and herbal medicine. “Despite possessing valuable knowledge and skills, we are falling behind. Ironically, we have the solutions but lack the resources to implement them,” says Dr Lamwaka.
Uganda and its Nile Basin neighbours can realise the immense potential for women to lead in STEM, but only with significant changes. By dismantling structural barriers, Uganda can build a future where women can freely innovate. And, with role models like Alice Otto, the next generation is being prepared: “I am glad that most of my students excel with distinctions in mathematics,” she says, adding that women should lead with confidence: “Women should not fear mathematics. Everything we do in the world involves mathematics, so we should not fear.”
This article is part of The Niles Issue #19, The Feminine & The Nile, produced by Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) with financial support from the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). It is part of the initiative The Niles: Strengthening Media Capacities and Networks in the Nile Basin, supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office (AA). The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of SIWI, GIZ, the German Federal Foreign Office, or MiCT.
