Women and Technology in Higher Education, A Case Study of the University of Nairobi, Faculty of Science and Technology

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play a significant role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) both through their internal policies and by equipping students with necessary skills to address the 21st Century challenges. The 4th goal of SDGs which emphasizes on gender equality through provision of inclusive high-quality education for everyone. Studies confirm that increasing the number of women in digital jobs would increase the Gross Domestic Product – making it an economic booster. The paper aimed at reviewing literature on women and technology in higher education to establish the status of women in higher education in Kenya. The University of Nairobi, Faculty of Science and Technology was used as a Case Study by looking at the graduation outputs of Computer Science and related fields graduands in the last four years. The study found that, out of the 696 graduands, only 166 (24%) were females against 530 (76%) males in the last four years (from 2019 to 2022). This study recommends further research in education in order to understand the reasons behind this worrying phenomenon and recommend mitigation measures from forums such as African Women Study Centre and Women’s Economic Empowerment Hub, to inform policy.