Bridging the female academic gap in Africa: A success story of women’s mentorship

Professor Elizabeth Asiedu, an economics professor at Howard University, experienced firsthand the difficulties faced by African women in obtaining an economics doctorate and advancing their economics careers in a field heavily dominated by male peers. That experience spurred her to start the Association for the Advancement of African Women Economists (AAAWE).

AAAWE is the first and only organization focused on enhancing the capacity and skills of African women economists through opportunities to network, obtain grants, fellowships, and internships, receive mentorship, and share knowledge. Since its inception, the program has mentored 898 African women economists, and currently there are 1,080 members, 300 of whom have received their Ph.Ds. But the strength and impact aren’t only in these statistics. They’re also in the community.

Thanks to AAAWE and with the support of the World Bank Think Africa Partnership (TAP) , aspiring African women economists have a lifelong space and network of encouragement, counsel, and knowledge from female leaders paving a way for African women in economics careers. Mentors provide feedback for research papers and host peer-to-peer mentorship workshops discussing tactics for balancing work and families and the navigating "unwritten rules" of the job. Most importantly, AAAWE connects African women to professional economics opportunities. Asiedu highlighted that “the idea was to give [African women] exposure … some of them have never attended a [professional] conference before."

Asiedu recounted a recent story of her first time meeting former mentee, Frances Nakakawa, at a conference in Finland after which she became mentee and Director of AAAWE Uganda. As a single mother of three in Uganda, she had to make the difficult decision of sending her children to a boarding school to balance her work, studies, and caring for her children. And even after placing her children in private school, the distance, worry, and longing to see them was often a distraction during her studies.

Frances expressed to Asiedu her desperation to finish her program but considered quitting due to the endless stress in the field, isolation often felt from being the only woman in her program, and the immense sacrifice required of her as a mother. Professor Asiedu was able to provide wise counsel, and it was this wisdom and the AAAWE community that propelled Frances to earn her Doctorate in Philosophy from Makerere University this past January of 2024 in Uganda. Her thesis involved economics research focused on food nutrition security amongst women with HIV/AIDS in Uganda and the influence of education and financial savings accounts.

Frances shaking the chancellor’s hand upon receiving her Ph.D. diploma. Photo: Joseph Buwule
 

As recent research in gender highlights the importance of care infrastructure and its subsequent influence on women’s labor force participation, we must continue to value and invest in these respective women’s networks that support working mothers. Collective bonds, support systems, and mentorship coupled with policies investing in childcare will forge opportunities for women to be not only represented- but also heard.

With fewer leadership opportunities, pipelines, and support for African women in economics, it’s inevitable that Frances will face more challenges in advancing her career, but programs like the AAAWE mentorship programs and the support of the Think Africa Partnership are a critical step to ensure that the next generation of women economists are not faced with the same difficulties.