Although women’s roles in development are vital, they are generally marginalized in all spheres of society’s development including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). This article explored the experiences of women in STEMdomains in Ghana’s tertiary education and research institutions. Thirty participants (students, faculty, and research scientists) were selected through purposive/criterion sampling. Their experiences were elicited using semi-structured interviews. Theinterview data were thematically analysed using initial coding, axial, and selective coding under grounded theory. The findings confirmed that the Ghanaian society is still deeply patriarchal. On the STEM trajectories of the participants, gender discrimination was manifested in comments, structures, and practices. In the face of the gender discrimination experienced, the support system of the female faculty interviewed, enabled them to succeed in their professional and educational endeavours.

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At all levels of education in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplinary fields, there are disparities in participation according to gender. This study explores the educational and professional experiences of female faculty in STEM in universities in Ghana. In-depth semi-structured interviews were undertaken employing 20 participants from universities in Ghana. Findings indicate that despite their success fueled by the support system available to them, gender disparities, fostered by patriarchy, characterized their educational and professional experiences. Their gendered experiences exacerbated in the higher education workplace as some sources of support turned to be sources of gender discrimination. This was because they were perceived as threats to the patriarchal status quo as they surged in the academic STEM trajectory.

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