The researchers presented an impressive assortment of data, highlighted key aspects of ongoing initiatives, and provided information that suggested university management had taken some steps (and some missteps) vis-a-vis the issue of outreach to prospective students and retention of current students.

For the most part, university management, while paying lipservice to their concern about transforming the status quo, had not put into place much in terms of innovative programs.As the Makerere University study, proclaimed, the situation at these universities can at best be described as"the survival of the fittest".

The following were identified as critical issues by the seven East African research teams:

1. Rampant sexual harassment, cross-generational sex and violence against females
2. Lack of systematic outreach programs to outlying feeder (secondary) schools vis-a-vis deans of students, head teachers and prospective students
3. Lack of guidance counseling, mentoring and orientation programs for newly arrived females;
4. Lack of information for all secondary schools with information on academic requirements to enter different courses
5. Lack of monitoring tools to follow students journeys through university, with a focus on poor rural girls, and/or poor urban girls.
6. Inadequate gender sensitized training for science teachers at secondary schools and at university level
7. Lack of public exposure to the conditions and experiences of young co-eds (their positive and negative coping mechanisms and related issues)
8. Lack of loan system to assist disadvantaged female students' financial needs