**1. Introduction**

In 2015, the 191 United Nations states including Uganda, adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), popularly known as the Global goals of action which are designed to end poverty, protect the planet, and end discrimination against the Most-At-Risk-Populations (MARPs), more so the women and girls [1, 2]. The implementation and achievement of the 169 targets of the SDGs will ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Because of the crucial role of education in socio-economic transformation, the SDGs has it as a stand-alone goal: number 4-ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all. Emphasis, however, is laid on the significant importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) considered as the

driving forces of economic growth [3]. Studies and trends indicate gender gaps, gender inequality and disempowerment of girls and women in STEM subjects [4–6]. This results in the dominance of boys and men in science related employment fields [7, 8]. In Uganda, this is more pronounced in the poorly facilitated districts because of issues of insufficient materials and the faculty in the primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school levels. Consequently, the students get poor grades at advanced level.

On the other hand, Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC) is a sub-component of Higher Education Access Programme (HEAP). HEAP, a 10-year programme, was started in 2016 and is implemented by Forum for African Women Educationalists Uganda (FAWEU) with support from Master Card Foundation (MCF). Both STEM and HEAC are interventions meant to increase the profile in the fields of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the country**,** at different education levels. Whereas STEM targets girls at the lower secondary school level to embrace and advance in STEM subjects in the known male dominated fields, the target population of the HEAC are both male and female students who failed to attain the minimum requirements for admission to undergraduate degree or diploma programmes. The minimum is Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) or its equivalent with at least one principle pass and two subsidiaries. Therefore, STEM and HEAC respond to the Comprehensive Agenda 2030 [9] for sustainable development hinged on its transformative principle-leave nobody behind. The resultant effect of this is that students are acclimatized in science subjects to develop and possess the relevant profiles. Faced with the odds from multiple subjects, STEM could be challenged at building girls' confidence and giving them the opportunities to see themselves through science subjects. Additionally, HEAC contextualizes learning of science subjects which contributes both student motivation [10] and making of meaning. The implication is that students are not spread over multiple disciplines to thin out concentration or downsizing the field on interaction. What is more, it widens the scope of shared views for deeper understanding, internalizing and transferring learned knowledge, skills and values to propel success in real life.
