The Gender Parity Index (GPI) in university enrolment has steadily improved from 0.54 in 2016/17 to 0.84 in 2024/25, signalling a significant narrowing of the gap between male and female participation in higher education.
Dar es Salaam. For the first time in decades, Tanzania’s university system is inching closer to gender balance. On paper, the progress looks impressive.
The Gender Parity Index (GPI) in university enrolment has steadily improved from 0.54 in 2016/17 to 0.84 in 2024/25, signalling a significant narrowing of the gap between male and female participation in higher education.
Total enrolment in university institutions reached 259,434 students in 2024/25, up from about 181,897 in 2018/19, according to the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) VitalStats 2024.
Female enrolment has grown faster than that of males over the same period, reflecting years of deliberate policy interventions, scholarships and sustained advocacy aimed at expanding access for girls.
However, beneath this encouraging headline lies a more complex and worrying reality: gender parity remains deeply uneven across fields of study, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
When enrolment is disaggregated by discipline, the gains quickly thin out. Engineering programmes record a GPI of 0.28, Mining and Earth Sciences 0.38, ICT 0.51, and Physical Sciences and Mathematics 0.49.
In simple terms, for every ten male students in engineering, fewer than three are female.
By contrast, women dominate in Education (GPI 1.02), Law (1.00), Business (1.12), Social Sciences (1.54) and Library and Information Studies.
“This tells us that access alone is not enough,” former lecturer Dr Fumbuka Mtenzi told The Citizen. “Girls are entering universities, yes. But they are not entering the programmes that drive industrialisation, innovation and high-value employment.”
Why STEM still repels women
Experts point to pipeline problems that begin long before university admission. Weak performance in mathematics and sciences at secondary level, limited exposure to female role models in STEM careers, and persistent cultural stereotypes continue to shape subject choices.
Dr Mtenzi notes that female applicants remain underrepresented in competitive STEM programmes. “Even when spaces are available, the pool of qualified female applicants is smaller. This reflects systemic issues in earlier stages of education,” he said.
There is also an economic dimension. STEM programmes are often longer, more demanding and costlier. For students from low-income households, especially girls, the opportunity cost can be prohibitive, particularly when family expectations still prioritise early marriage or income-generating activities over extended schooling.
The imbalance carries serious implications for Tanzania’s ambitions in industrialisation, mining, health sciences, digital transformation and the energy transition.
STEM graduates sit at the heart of national priorities under Vision 2025, the newly launched Dira 2050. Yet the VitalStats data shows that women remain largely excluded from the very skills ecosystem the country needs most.
“If we do not correct this, we risk building a future economy with half the talent missing,” warned gender and education specialist Dr Rose Mpemba. “Gender parity in enrolment is not meaningful if women are clustered in low-growth disciplines.”
Aware of this imbalance, the government has begun shifting from broad access policies to targeted gender-responsive interventions, with a strong focus on STEM.
At the centre of these efforts is the Samia Scholarship, launched under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s leadership. The programme specifically supports high-performing girls to pursue degrees in engineering, medicine, ICT, natural sciences and related fields, both locally and internationally.
Education officials say the scholarship is designed not just to fund tuition, but to change perceptions about who belongs in STEM.
“The Samia Scholarship sends a powerful signal that girls are needed in science and technology spaces,” said one senior official at the Ministry of Education. “It is about visibility, confidence and long-term workforce planning.”
Beyond scholarships, the government has expanded science excellence schools, invested in laboratory infrastructure, and strengthened teacher training in mathematics and sciences, particularly in underserved regions.
There is also growing collaboration with development partners and the private sector to support mentorship programmes, internships and early exposure to STEM careers for girls.
Some universities have introduced bridging programmes, female-only STEM cohorts and academic support systems aimed at improving retention and completion rates for women in demanding courses.
While these initiatives mark a clear policy shift, experts caution that their impact will depend on scale, consistency and coordination across the education system.
“The Samia Scholarship is a strong start, but it must be part of a wider ecosystem, from primary classrooms to postgraduate labs,” Dr Mpemba said. “Otherwise, the numbers will improve slowly, but the structural imbalance will persist.”
