Kenya to host Africa women in STEM summit amid gender gap push

From left: WITIA Advisory Board Member Rosebella Namango, GEX Deputy Country Director Peter Musyoki and WITIA Co-founder and CEO Joyce Muchiri.

Kenya is set to host the first continent-wide women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics summit as Africa seeks to close gender gaps in the fast-growing technology sector.

The Women in STEM Africa Summit 2025 will take place from Tuesday, July 8 to Thursday, July 10 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.

Organisers said the event will bring together more than 500 delegates including policymakers, scientists and young innovators from across Africa and beyond.

The summit will take place alongside China Trade Week Kenya and the Africa Technology Show.

"This summit is more than a meeting," said Women in Technology and Innovation Africa Advisory Board Member Rosebella Namango. "It is a call to remove barriers that continue to hold back women in Africa's technology spaces and to foster solutions that serve communities," noted Namango.

Women in Technology and Innovation Africa Co-founder and Chief Executive Joyce Muchiri observed the platform will act as a launchpad for young women innovators across Africa to showcase their ideas and build cross-border partnerships.

"We want to change the narrative around women in technology by showing that African women are not waiting for opportunities but are creating them," added Muchiri.

Themed "Borderless Innovation: Pioneering Global Technology Solutions for Africa's Challenges," the summit will feature discussions on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and climate technology. Organisers explained it will also include a youth-led startup innovation challenge, a technology exhibition and a ministerial roundtable on inclusive STEM policy.

Data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization shows women make up less than 30 per cent of researchers in sub-Saharan Africa, with even lower representation in engineering and computer science.

Organisers noted the summit aims to address this gap by connecting young women with investors, policymakers and networks needed to develop their innovations.

Muchiri explained the summit will also produce recommendations for governments seeking to increase the participation of girls and women in STEM education and careers.