Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has called for a more comprehensive and balanced approach to gender equality in the African higher education sector.
Delivering the keynote address at the 3rd Edition of the Times Higher Education (THE) Africa Universities Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, on Tuesday, Manamela warned that progress in access for women has not yet translated into equal power or opportunity.
He emphasised that gender equality must go beyond enrolment figures and address deeper structural inequalities within institutions and society.
“There is no neutral education system. Paulo Freire reminded us that there is no such thing as a neutral education process. Education either reproduces the world as it is or helps us transform it.
“When we speak about equity, diversity, inclusion, and gender equality in African higher education, we should be clear that we are not discussing a side issue, or a matter of institutional image. We are discussing who gets access to knowledge, who succeeds, who leads, who is left behind, and what kind of society our universities help to build,” Manamela said.
Held under the theme: “Powering Africa’s future through talent development, innovation and inclusion”, the two-day brought together higher education leaders, policymakers and sector stakeholders to engage on critical issues shaping the future of the continent.
Among the key areas of focus included global challenges; innovation and entrepreneurship; start-up ecosystems; work readiness and skills development; and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in higher education.
Manamela highlighted significant gains made by women in South Africa’s higher education system, where women currently make up the majority of university students and graduates, accounting for 62.7% of enrolments and 65.4% of graduates in 2023.
“Women are not only entering higher education in larger numbers; they are also graduating in larger numbers. These reflects long struggles for access, democracy and redistribution. It reflects public policy, public investment, and social change far beyond the education sector itself.
‘It [also] tells us that what happens in higher education is not merely the achievement of universities. It is also a reflection of wider shifts in households, communities, aspirations, social movements and the democratic order. But that is only one side of the story Because if we stop there, we tell the wrong story,” Manamela said.
However, the Minister warned against viewing these gains as the end of the gender equality journey. Instead, he described a “contradiction” in the system: while women dominate enrolment and graduation, they remain underrepresented in positions of authority.
The leadership gap
He highlighted the academic gap in staffing profile, where among professors in South African universities, women account for only about a third, with 1 129 female professors compared to 2 216 men.
He stressed that equity, diversity and inclusion must be measured across the full academic chain, from access and progression to employment, leadership and institutional power.
The Minister also highlighted similar patterns in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), where women make up the majority of enrolments overall, yet remain underrepresented in certain skills programmes traditionally dominated by men.
This, he said, reflects broader societal patterns that continue to shape opportunities along gender lines.
Challenging common assumptions, Manamela pointed out that women are increasingly represented in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) fields in South Africa.
However, that participation does not automatically translate into equality in career advancement, research leadership or earnings.
Manamela highlighted the role of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) as a key instrument of gender transformation, with women accounting for over two-thirds of beneficiaries and receiving the majority of funding. – SAnews.gov.za
