Africa’s Nuclear Future: Increasing the Participation of Women and Youth

The policy brief examines the role of nuclear science and technology in Africa's development and the necessity of integrating women and youth into the field. It highlights that while women currently represent only 30% of experts and trainees, frameworks like Agenda 2063 and the Maputo Protocol provide a basis for their inclusion. The document identifies challenges such as a lack of sustainable human resource development and the need for updated expert databases. It recommends enhancing STEM education, increasing government commitment, and leveraging the roles of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to foster a more inclusive nuclear sector.

• Women are significantly underrepresented in Africa's nuclear sector, accounting for only 30% of experts, trainees, and fellows in nuclear science and technology.
• The African Union has established multiple frameworks to promote gender equality and youth inclusion, including the Maputo Protocol, the African Youth Charter, and Agenda 2063, which envisions a people-driven development relying on women and youth.
• Regional networks have been established to support inclusion, such as WiN Africa, which has approximately 350 participants from 37 African countries, and the African Young Generation in Nuclear (AYGN), which has national networks in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.
• The African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by recruiting approximately 40% women as expert consultants in 2020 and 2021 and proposing an internship policy for young postgraduates.
• Key barriers to increasing participation include a lack of sustainable human resource development, insufficient education and training programmes in nuclear science, and the absence of an updated database integrating the profiles of African experts.
• Improving the sector requires increased government political and financial commitment, enhanced STEM education, and the leadership of countries like South Africa in sharing nuclear energy and medicine knowledge.
• Nuclear science and technology are viewed as critical tools for addressing Africa's broader challenges, including food and energy crises, health security, climate change, and water scarcity.

APA

BAALIOUAMER, M. (2022). Africa’s Nuclear Future: Increasing the Participation of Women and Youth. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAIIA_PI_137_AfricasNuclearFuture.pdf

Chicago

BAALIOUAMER, MESSAOUD. Africa’s Nuclear Future: Increasing the Participation of Women and Youth. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2022. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAIIA_PI_137_AfricasNuclearFuture.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BAALIOUAMER |first1=MESSAOUD |title=Africa’s Nuclear Future: Increasing the Participation of Women and Youth |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=September 2022 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAIIA_PI_137_AfricasNuclearFuture.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{baaliouamer2022africas, author = {BAALIOUAMER, MESSAOUD}, title = {{Africa’s Nuclear Future: Increasing the Participation of Women and Youth}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAIIA_PI_137_AfricasNuclearFuture.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }