AI for STEM Gender Inequality Analysis
Photo Credit: Feepik
Overview
A Kenyan research project is using AI to expose the hidden patterns of gender inequality in STEM education and career pathways equipping policymakers with the evidence they need to build a more equitable workforce.
Despite Kenya's growing investment in STEM, women remain significantly underrepresented in tertiary STEM programs and face persistent barriers to career progression in technical fields. Yet the data needed to understand why and where these gaps emerge has remained fragmented, biased, or inaccessible to decision-makers.
By developing AI models trained on diverse socioeconomic datasets, the project analyzes how gender inequality shapes student placement, career trajectories, and perceptions of AI itself within Kenyan institutions. Researchers actively detect and mitigate historical biases embedded in national employment and financial records, ensuring the models reflect a broad range of human experiences rather than reinforcing existing inequities.
The result is data-driven evidence that gives policymakers a clearer picture of where economic recovery programs fall short for women and how government stimulus funds can be allocated more equitably. With predictive analytics surfacing the specific career progression barriers women face, the project offers a scalable, evidence-based model for designing gender-responsive STEM policy in Kenya and across the region.