EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

Knowledge opens doors to new opportunities and is a fundamental driver of development. In Africa, it is crucial that this knowledge is built inclusively, highlighting African contributions, with a focus on improving educational quality and creating more opportunities, especially for girls and women.

Currently, African countries invest around 4% of their GDP in education, which is lower than the global average of 4.7%. Regarding research, Africa accounts for only 1.3% of global spending, and Sub-Saharan countries allocate barely 0.5% of their GDP to innovation and research. This lag presents a challenge in a continent whose school-age population continues to grow exponentially, where, by 2030, two-thirds of the global demand for teachers will be needed.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of educational exclusion. In 2017, 54% of the world’s school-age population not attending school was in this region, with 9 million girls aged 6 to 11 likely to never attend school. This gender disparity is exacerbated by a lack of qualified teachers: only 64% of primary teachers and 50% of secondary teachers have received the minimum required training. As a result, only 1 in 10 children achieves a basic level of proficiency in reading and mathematics.

Armed conflicts also severely affect education in countries like South Sudan and Chad, where dropout rates are alarmingly high. Additionally, women who manage to access higher education and research often face barriers related to gender discrimination and the lack of work-life balance policies.

Women for Africa Foundation works to promote the empowerment of girls and women through access to quality education and the encouragement of research. Only with the active participation of women in public, scientific, and economic life can Africa reach its full development potential.

Projects