Factors affecting female enrolment in technical and vocational education and training institutions in sub-Saharan Africa: insights from north-western Ghana

ABSTRACT This study analysed the trends in enrolment and access to Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the second cycle level in Ghana to ascertain the factors affecting female enrolment in TVET in sub-Saharan Africa. A cross-sectional survey design was employed to collect data from 180 respondents using survey questionnaires. The results showed that there exists about a 51.6% gender gap in enrolment for the past five academic years. The major constraint to female enrolment and academic progression in TVET was the high cost of materials and equipment required for practical sessions in TVET programmes. In addition, the lack of female role models in TVET, including derogatory remarks by the public that portrays TVET as inferior, affects female enrolment in TVET programmes. There is, therefore, the need for public education and sensitisation on the prospects of female participation in TVET in Ghana and other developing counties, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.