Gender Equity – Pan-African Initiatives for Catalyzing Change

Africa has witnessed remarkable strides towards economic development and social progress. However, as the continent undergoes continued transformative change, the issue of gender equality remains a pivotal and complex challenge that demands urgent attention.

Education disparities, workplace inequalities, cultural norms and stereotypes, and access to funding for women entrepreneurs all hinder the aspirations and success of women across Africa. Higher education in particular plays a vital role in the shaping and development of communities and the economic prosperity of all countries.

I am proud that as a network of 16 institutions across the continent, we align our Education for Impact mission with the critical objective of the United Nations SDG5: Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
Thank you for the dedication of our teams across Africa. We will persist in our mission to bring positive change for the future of all women and girls.

Dr. Jonathan Louw
Group CEO
Honoris United Universities

Unemployment affects young women disproportionately more than young men: 35% of young women are outside employment, education, or training, compared to only 20% of men (African Development Bank). Once in employment, women also face marked disadvantages in salary, progression, and recognition.

The new generation of African women will define the continent’s future. To enhance employability outcomes for both students and alumni, Honoris is enhancing its inclusive career services and addressing prevalent gender biases that female graduates encounter during the transition from school to the workforce.

Through market analysis and insights from stakeholder experts in the industry, we identified three employability issues in Africa that are affected by gender.

Based on this learning, we deliver a 4-pillar gender strategy to drive employability among our female students:

Higher education institutions play a vital role in the shaping and development of communities. This is particularly pertinent in Africa, where tertiary education has the power to transform living and working conditions for families and communities and alleviate poverty across the continent.

We develop a strategy that works closely with leading organizations to propel impact throughout a number of communities, particularly:

The Women in Africa (WIA) initiative is an international platform for economic development and promise of a new generation of African female leaders at all levels of civil government and responsibility, and to connect African and to connect African and international women leaders in the pursuit of an innovative and inclusive Africa.

I believe in sustainability and Honoris United Universities support is all about creating sustainable initiatives. Honoris has supported WIA since the beginning, increasing its commitment each year. During the COVID crisis, their support was extremely helpful to allow us to host the program virtually with the online bootcamp. The bootcamp was WIA’s first step to accomplish our vision by 2030 which is to multiply our support to women entrepreneurs tenfold! Utilising technology, we supported 540 women entrepreneurs this year instead of 54!

Women are central to Africa’s future. Achieving gender equality is imperative to key development outcomes, driving economic efficiency and competitiveness, and unlocking opportunities for women and girls to realize their full potential and contribute fully to both the formal job market and the entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Since our inception in 2017, we stringently track and measure the impact we have on communities across Africa, outlined in our annual Honoris Impact Report. In 2022, we increased the Honoris Impact Score by 16%, reaching a significant milestone by transforming 1 million lives across Africa. A significant component of this success is the recognition of our contribution to Gender Equality, a measure of impact where we have achieved transformational progress.

Both our employee and student populations remain majority female; our gendered approach to employability increases the success of our women alumni; our female leaders continue to inspire and lead from the front; and our efforts to widen access to quality education prove successful, particularly in critical sectors such as STEM.

With 11,000 female students in STEM in 2021, we worked hard to drive enrolment and awareness of STEM courses for women in our markets, growing this number to 12,300 students, an increase of an impressive 11.4%. Our total participation rate of 41% women in STEM, is 10pts above the market average of 31% in Africa (World Bank).

We continue to recognize our challenges, implement effective strategies to bring impact, and work collectively to solve one of the most pressing opportunities for the continent’s economic prosperity.

Improving the efficiency of Africa’s growth requires robust data to adequately address the gender gaps and develop responses that ensure no one is left behind. I am proud and inspired by the progress being made across the continent as we continue to foster inclusive societies that thrive on diverse and inclusive opportunities.

Laura Kakon
Group Chief Growth and Strategy Officer
Honoris United Universities

Alumni Testimonials