Education policymakers and development partners in Ghana are intensifying efforts to mainstream gender equality in technical education, with a renewed push to integrate Gender-Responsive Pedagogy (GRP) into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems nationwide.
The commitments were made at the end of a two-day Gender Responsive Pedagogy for TVET Popularisation Forum organised by the Forum for African Women Educationalists with support from the Mastercard Foundation.
The forum brought together key stakeholders from government, regulatory bodies, and tertiary institutions, all agreeing on the need to embed gender-sensitive teaching practices into curricula, strengthen institutional frameworks, and expand training for educators.
Participants also pledged to improve data collection systems and monitoring mechanisms to ensure that policy commitments translate into measurable outcomes, particularly in increasing access for women and persons with disabilities in technical fields.
At the institutional level, Dr. Lydia Takyi, Head of the Centre for Business Incubation and Innovation at the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, announced plans to scale up the Gender Responsive and Inclusive Pedagogy (GRIP) programme nationwide. She noted that while the university has already trained lecturers across several institutions, expansion is needed to deepen impact.
She explained that the next phase would include wider faculty training and the introduction of student and lecturer “GRP ambassadors” to promote awareness and ensure grassroots implementation across campuses.
Representing technical universities, Mr. Joseph Mensah Oti-Asirifi, Executive Secretary of the Vice-Chancellors of Technical Universities of Ghana, said institutional leaders had committed to placing gender responsiveness at the centre of academic governance. He added that vice-chancellors would track progress through structured reporting and engagement at faculty level.
He stressed the importance of moving beyond policy declarations, warning that without enforcement and monitoring, reforms risk remaining symbolic rather than transformational.
From the regulatory side, Mr. John Dadzie-Mensah of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission said the Commission would review accreditation standards and institutional policies to ensure gender responsiveness is fully integrated into teaching and programme delivery. He added that accreditation tools may be revised to better capture gender and inclusion indicators.
He also highlighted the need for stronger data on female enrolment, retention, and employment outcomes, urging institutions to treat gender inclusion as a core academic priority rather than an optional add-on.
Meanwhile, Dr. Eric Amoah of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment outlined plans to conduct curriculum reviews from basic to tertiary level to remove gender bias and standardise teaching tools. He said teacher training and assessment systems would also be revised to reflect gender-sensitive approaches.
Across all interventions, stakeholders agreed that achieving meaningful inclusion in TVET will require sustained investment, institutional commitment, and collaboration with development partners.
The forum concluded with a shared call to ensure that gender-responsive pedagogy becomes a permanent feature of Ghana’s education system rather than a short-term policy initiative.
