African Union International Centre for Girls and Women’s Education (AU CIEFFA) Continental Youth Workshop on Digital Innovation and Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Education opens in Nairobi

A Continental Youth Capacity Building Workshop on Girls in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) for Gender-Responsive Education has officially opened in Nairobi, Kenya. Running from 25th –28th November 2025, the workshop is held under the theme: “Empowering Girls in STEAM: Innovating for Inclusive and Gender-Responsive Education in Africa.”

Organised by the African Union International Centre for Girls and Women’s Education (AU CIEFFA) in collaboration with UN Women, the convening seeks to empower young women leaders in STEAM fields and AU CIEFFA alumni with essential digital and financial literacy skills. The initiative aims to amplify advocacy for girls’ STEAM education and the #AfricaEducatesHER Campaign, while showcasing grassroots efforts by young women advancing education in their communities.

The workshop also celebrates the achievements of women role models in STEAM, including projects led by the AU Go-Gal Top 10 innovators and AGCCI Alumni.

Representing Kenya’s Ministry of Education, Dr. Elyas Abdi, Director General, emphasised the country’s commitment to strengthening STEAM interventions: “Kenya’s commitment to STEAM education is anchored in the national reforms guided by the government’s Kenya Kwanza Education Charter and the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER). These frameworks prioritise strengthening STEM and STEAM pathways, expanding digital learning, enhancing teacher professionalism, upgrading laboratories, and promoting gender equity across all levels of education.”

Despite progress, girls remain significantly underrepresented in STEAM education across Africa. Women account for only 35% of STEM graduates, a figure that has stagnated over the past decade.

“For far too long, science has been viewed as a domain reserved for boys and men. While this narrative is gradually shifting, the representation of girls and women in STEAM remains disproportionately low. Yet, young African girls possess the curiosity, creativity, and intellectual rigour required to drive innovation. What they have often lacked is not talent, but equitable access to technology, inspiring female role models, and an educational environment that nurtures and believes in their potential”, said Mrs. Simone Yankey, Coordinator of the AU CIEFFA.

The workshop convenes young people and STEAM professionals from 24 African Union Member States, the majority of whom are women.

Mr Joshua Musyimi, Programme Specialist at UN Women Kenya Office, underscored the importance of policy advocacy, “It is critical not only to equip girls with digital and leadership skills, but also to advocate for policies that guarantee their access to technology, and to push for national education systems to integrate gender, ICT, and coding-related skills. Only then can we ensure that digital inclusion is not a privilege, but a right — and that the achievements of AGCCI (African Girls Can Code) reach more girls, in more communities, for generations to come”.

Contributions from the World Bank Group, represented by Mr Saifeddine Ben Mhenni, and Dr Olubusayo Akinola, Head of Social Welfare, Drug Control and Crime Prevention from AUC’s Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development highlighted ongoing initiatives to promote STEAM across Africa.

The workshop is supported by the World Bank’s East Africa Girls’ Empowerment and Resilience (EAGER) program and aligns with AU CIEFFA’s Strategic Axis 3 on STEAM and Skills Development. It further contributes to continental commitments, including AU Agenda 2063, CESA 16-25, and the recommendations from the 2024 Conference on Transforming STEM in Africa, co-organised by the AU and UNESCO in Addis Ababa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).