The Kumasi Technical University has instituted scholarships for females who want to pursue engineering and TVET programmes.

This move was necessitated by the low enrollment of females in these programmes.

Speaking at an event to mark the International Women’s Day organised by the Women in Technology and Development (WITED) in Kumasi, Vice Chancellor, Nana Prof. Osei-Wusu Achaw, said out of 1,960 students admitted this year, only 120, representing 6 percent are females.

“We have 1,960 students studying engineering in this University, unfortunately, only 6 percent of this number are women,”

“We have set up what we call a STEM scholarship to support women who desire to study engineering and TVET programmes in this University,” he said.

The event is under the theme, “Breaking the bias.”

The programme brought together members of the Association and eminent personalities nationwide to discuss issues affecting women.

The Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Prof. Dorothy Yeboah-Manu called for leadership training courses for females, and admonished the members of WITED to lobby for policies that benefit females.

“We should organize leadership training courses for our girls and this platform should be used to lobby for changes to put in policies such that the girls will be encouraged to do the course we want them to do,” she said.

Deputy Minister of Education in charge of TVET, Gifty Twum-Ampofo said, “If culture and religion have made you embrace mediocrity, we have to re-psyche ourselves, we’re never the weaker vessel,” she said.

National Chairperson of WITED, Dr. Patricia Owusu-Darko wants “Women to empower themselves so that when there is an opportunity, they will be able to avail themselves to be of help.”