By Jennifer Betty ABUGBILLAH
As Ghana moves toward industrialization and digital transformation, the demand for skilled electrical engineers has never been greater. From renewable energy systems and telecommunications to industrial automation and digital infrastructure, the country’s growth increasingly depends on the people who design, power, and sustain these technologies.
Yet despite this growing need, one major gap persists the low participation of women in engineering, particularly in electrical and electronic disciplines. Across most universities in Ghana, female students in engineering still represent a small minority. The imbalance is not due to lack of ability but rather to deep-seated social and cultural barriers that have, for decades, shaped perceptions of what women can or cannot do.
The Gender Gap in Engineering
Walk into any engineering lecture hall or industrial training site, and the disparity is clear. While young men dominate in numbers, many young women who might have had the potential to thrive in these same spaces were discouraged early told that engineering is “too difficult,” “too dirty,” or simply “not for girls.”
Such narratives begin early in childhood. In some homes and schools, girls who show interest in how things work are steered toward “softer” professions instead of being encouraged to explore science and technology. Over time, these small discouragements form invisible walls that limit potential.
But electrical engineering is not just about wires, circuits, or machines. It is about problem-solving, creativity, and the power to transform societies. It’s about bringing light to rural communities, designing communication networks, automating industries, and driving the innovations that make modern life possible.
Why Women Matter in Electrical Engineering
Encouraging more women to enter electrical engineering is not simply a matter of fairness or gender equality it is a matter of national development.
Studies consistently show that diverse teams are more innovative, productive, and better at solving complex problems. In engineering, this translates directly into improved design thinking, creative innovation, and sustainable solutions.
Ghana’s energy and industrial sectors, in particular, stand to benefit enormously from the creativity and fresh perspectives women bring. The challenges facing these sectors unreliable power supply, energy transition, digitalization, and climate resilience require every ounce of talent available. To secure a sustainable future, we must harness all of it.
As Dr. Elsie Effah Kaufmann, Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences at the University of Ghana, has often emphasized:
> “Engineering is about solving human problems. If women are not involved in creating the solutions, then half of the human perspective is missing.”
Early Exposure and Mentorship: The Game Changers
Many successful female engineers trace their achievements back to early exposure and strong mentorship. When young girls meet role models women who have navigated the journey before them the idea of “I can do this too” begins to take root.
Mentorship provides both inspiration and guidance. It demystifies the field, showing girls that engineering is not an abstract, unreachable dream but a real and rewarding career.
Institutions such as the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), universities, and forward-thinking companies are already taking steps to close the gap. Initiatives like Girls in STEM, Women in Engineering (WiE), and outreach programs at KNUST, UMaT, and University of Ghana are providing mentorship, scholarships, and hands-on experiences for young women.
At the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), for instance, several female engineers now lead departments, supervise research, and mentor the next generation. Seeing them in action sends a powerful message: the face of engineering is changing and it includes women.
Changing the Narrative
Representation is one of the most powerful tools for change. When girls see women succeeding in fields once considered male-dominated, it challenges old assumptions and opens new possibilities.
Every young girl who watches Dr. Effah Kaufmann hosting the National Science and Maths Quiz, or reads about Ing. Mrs. Sylvia Amegashie designing renewable energy systems, or meets Ing. Priscilla Ocran from GRIDCo working on power transmission networks begins to imagine herself there too.
That is why media, schools, and policymakers must work hand-in-hand to change the narrative. We must showcase stories of women who are designing, building, and leading across energy, telecommunications, and digital sectors. Visibility creates belief and belief creates action.
Practical, project-based science education at the basic and secondary school levels is also vital. When students engage with experiments, robotics, coding, and engineering clubs, STEM becomes tangible and exciting rather than abstract and intimidating.
The Role of Institutions and Industry
For Ghana to close the gender gap, collaboration is key.
Government must continue to integrate STEM education into national development policies, providing funding and infrastructure for labs, innovation hubs, and science fairs.
Universities must ensure inclusive environments addressing unconscious bias, reviewing admission processes, and promoting gender-sensitive academic cultures.
Industry leaders must create internship opportunities and inclusive hiring practices that allow women to gain hands-on experience and thrive in technical roles.
Companies such as ECG, GRIDCo, VRA, and Bui Power Authority have already begun incorporating gender inclusion into their workforce development strategies. But more can be done especially in the private energy and technology sectors to ensure equal opportunities and fair career progression.
Empowering the Next Generation
To build a resilient and innovative energy future, Ghana must tap into its full human potential. Creating supportive environments through scholarships, mentorships, and inclusive policies will help more women enter and excel in engineering.
Parents and teachers also have a role to play. Encouraging curiosity letting girls open up gadgets, experiment with tools, and ask questions nurtures the mindset that engineering thrives on. What begins as a spark of curiosity can ignite a lifelong passion.
Lighting the Path Forward
Electrical engineering is vital to Ghana’s growth from powering industries and connecting communities to driving the digital revolution. To keep that momentum, the nation must ensure that everyone with the talent and interest to contribute has the opportunity to do so.
Empowering young women in engineering strengthens innovation, promotes balance, and sparks the breakthroughs that will shape tomorrow.
When we invest in women, we don’t just level the playing field- we raise the standard of progress.
A Call to Action
To every young woman reading this: if you’ve ever wondered how cities stay powered, how your phone connects across continents, or how machines think you already have the curiosity of an engineer. Follow it. Ask questions. Build. Experiment.
To educators, mentors, and policymakers: the future of Ghana’s energy and technology sectors depends on how well we nurture all our talent male and female alike. Let’s make engineering classrooms, labs, and boardrooms places where every capable mind can shine.
To industry leaders: mentorship, internships, and inclusive recruitment are not acts of charity they are smart investments in innovation and sustainability.
As I’ve seen firsthand at UMaT SRID and across professional networks, when women engineers lead, communities thrive.
Ghana’s future — bright, digital, and powered will be built by all of us, together.
Jennifer Betty Abugbillah is a MPhil Candidate, Electrical and Electronics Engineering- UMaT-SRID – Ghana
Email: hermo.papi258@gmail.com
A motivated and detail-oriented Electrical and Electronics Engineering graduate passionate about technical innovation, academic excellence, and female empowerment in STEM. Jennifer combines strong analytical skills with leadership and mentoring experience, dedicated to advancing sustainable engineering solutions and inspiring the next generation of women engineers.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
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