The study carried out a contextualised analysis of the difficulties and challenges faced by students in Sub-Saharan African universities regarding how gender affects the pursuit of employability and entrepreneurship opportunities. It includes specific examples from universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. The study notes the remarkable transformations and growth that have taken place in the higher education sectors of the four countries and the efforts being made towards gender mainstreaming and the promotion of inclusion and equality in the institutions of the study countries. The study notes, however, that these efforts have not been adequate and have thus not dealt with the persistent challenges facing female students in these institutions at a time when new and more complex problems and challenges are emerging.

Good progress appears to have been made regarding access to higher education by female students, despite several continuing barriers and challenges within the institutions and in wider society. Similar progress has been made in developing policies both at national and institutional levels. However, weak operationalisation and implementation render most of the policies ineffective or not particularly useful for those whom they should serve.

The study also identifies and highlights some best practices and innovations that have been adopted by some of the institutions to respond to these challenges. Some of these are observable in the institutions that have participated in the Innovation for African Universities (IAU) programme supported by the British Council and in a number of other forward-looking initiatives implemented by the institutions. Despite these efforts, the study notes that the barriers and challenges facing female students in African universities still persist, and some may even negate the gains already made. There are also new opportunities, in particular the rise of digitalisation and various forms of information communication technology (ICT) and access to new skill sets and opportunities that could assist in turning the situation around.