Top 10 African countries with the most female researchers

Female researchers in Africa have made profound contributions across various fields, playing a crucial role in scientific advancements, social development, and policy influence.

• African female researchers have made significant contributions across various fields, despite systemic challenges
• Gender disparities in academia and research persist in Africa, with only 31.5% of researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa being women
• Mauritius, South Africa, and Cabo Verde lead the continent in female researcher representation

The impact of African female researchers extends from groundbreaking medical research to innovations in agriculture, environmental sustainability, and technology.

Despite systemic challenges such as gender bias, limited funding opportunities, and societal expectations, many African women have excelled, breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations.

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A new report has highlighted the underrepresentation of women in top positions within the education sector.

According to a Dataphyte publication, female researchers remain disproportionately low across Africa, reflecting broader gender disparities in academia and research leadership.

Disparity in female representation in STEM

According to UNESCO, women account for just 31.5% of researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The World Bank identifies negative stereotypes, discrimination, and traditional gender roles as key factors limiting women’s participation in Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

These barriers reduce opportunities for women to work in labs, attend conferences, and build networks. Removing them is crucial to closing the gender gap and ensuring equal opportunities for success in STEM fields.

Mauritius (48.6%), South Africa (46.6%), and Cabo Verde (45.8%) lead the continent in female researcher representation.

With only 23.3% female researchers, Nigeria ranks 23rd in Africa in this metric.

However, ongoing advocacy, policy changes, and global collaborations are gradually creating a more inclusive research environment.

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The growing recognition of African women in research highlights not only their achievements but also the need for continued support to ensure their impact reaches even greater heights.

The table below presents the top 10 African countries with the highest number of female researchers, based on data from UNESCO and Dataphyte;