The Women in STEM Scholarship Programme, part of the Going Global Partnerships initiative, provides funding for women from eligible countries to pursue a one-year master’s degree in the UK. This scholarship aims to address the well-documented gender gap in STEM fields. Despite being, on average, 8% more productive, women constitute a small fraction of the workforce and research teams in STEM. They are also published less, paid less, and are less likely to attain leadership positions.

Closing the gender gap in STEM is a crucial strategy for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Five – Gender Equality. The impact extends beyond direct gender equity. For instance, there is a strong positive correlation between women’s authorship of medical research papers and the inclusion of gender and sex analysis, which is increasingly recognized as essential for creating better healthcare, particularly for women and girls.

The British Council has established various programmes to support women and girls in STEM worldwide, designed with a lifecycle approach. These initiatives inspire young girls to pursue STEM and support women in STEM fields to reach leadership positions and network with peers both regionally and in the UK.

The main benefits of this scholarship are

➢ Financial assistance, including tuition fees, stipend for 12 months including or covering accommodation, return travel costs, visa and insurance/NHS surcharge.

➢ English language support, through training where necessary to meet university or course language requirements, and IELTS fee waivers.