Amongi, Lydia

Abstract

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is crucial for skills development and inclusive growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet gender inequalities in access, participation, and outcomes remain widespread. This paper systematically reviews empirical and review studies published between 2019 and 2025 on women’s participation in TVET within African contexts. Using databases and grey literature explorations, predefined inclusion criteria, and structured data extraction templates, the review examines how institutional arrangements, socio-economic conditions, and cultural norms influence gendered TVET pathways. Thematic and comparative analysis synthesises evidence across countries, disciplines, and TVET subsectors. Results indicate that, despite global progress in girls’ education, African TVET systems often perpetuate gendered divisions of labour and exclude women from high-value technical fields. Barriers include persistent funding shortages, gender-insensitive institutional environments, socio-cultural norms favouring boys’ technical education, weak links to decent work, and intersecting disadvantages related to poverty, disability, rural residence, and informal settlement living conditions. New evidence highlights the importance of self-efficacy, social justice awareness, and perceptions of fairness in shaping women’s TVET ambitions and perseverance, while highlighting the positive impact of targeted advocacy, bursaries, and industry partnerships in reducing financial and informational barriers. Effective practices include gender-responsive pedagogy, safe and supportive learning environments, structured mentorship, community engagement to challenge stereotypes, and localised, gender-responsive policies addressing regional and sectoral disparities. The review concludes that incremental, isolated interventions are unlikely to close gender gaps; instead, multi-level, gender-transformative reforms are necessary to align TVET financing, curricula, governance, and labour-market linkages with Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5. It recommends: (1) integrating gender-responsive budgeting and accountability into TVET systems; (2) expanding gender-transformative institutional practices, including safeguarding and leadership development for women; (3) strengthening pathways from TVET into decent work through inclusive industry partnerships; and (4) investing in rigorous, context-sensitive impact evaluations of gender-focused TVET interventions, especially in under-researched regions and sectors. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is vital for skills development and inclusive growth in SubSaharan Africa, but gender inequalities in access, participation, and outcomes still persist. Ongoing gendered divisions of labour and women’s under-representation in high-value technical fields restrict the transformative potential of TVET for advancing gender equality and decent work. Methods This paper systematically reviews empirical and review studies published between 2019 and 2025 on women’s participation in TVET within African contexts. Searches of academic databases and grey literature utilised predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and employed structured data extraction templates. Thematic and comparative analyses were used to synthesise evidence across countries, disciplines, and TVET subsectors, with attention to the institutional arrangements, socio-economic conditions, and cultural norms that shape gendered TVET pathways. Results Findings show that African TVET systems often reinforce gendered occupational segregation and exclude women from high-value technical fields. Barriers include chronic funding shortages, gender-insensitive institutional environments, socio-cultural norms that prioritise boys’ technical education, weak links to decent work, and intersecting disadvantages such as poverty, disability, rural residence, and informal settlement living conditions. Emerging evidence highlights the roles of self-efficacy, social justice awareness, and perceived fairness in shaping women’s TVET aspirations and perseverance. Targeted advocacy, bursaries, and industry partnerships offer promise in reducing financial and informational barriers. Effective practices include gender-responsive pedagogy, safe and supportive learning environments, structured mentorship, community engagement to challenge stereotypes, and locally adapted gender-responsive policies. Conclusions and Recommendations: Incremental, isolated interventions are unlikely to close gender gaps in African TVET. Multilevel, gender-transformative reforms are needed to align TVET financing, curricula, governance, and labour-market linkages with Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5. Priorities include integrating gender-responsive budgeting and accountability into TVET systems, expanding gender-transformative institutional practices (including safeguarding and women’s leadership development), strengthening pathways from TVET into decent work through inclusive industry partnerships, and investing in rigorous, context-sensitive impact evaluations of gender-focused TVET interventions, particularly in under-researched regions and sectors.