Transcript Gender as a constraint to Research Capacity Building within Higher Education Institutions: Learning from institutional experiences in tackling this Consolata Kabonesa The Irish-African Partnership for Research Capacity.

Gender as a constraint to Research
Capacity Building within Higher
Education Institutions: Learning
from institutional experiences in
tackling this
Consolata Kabonesa
The Irish-African Partnership for Research
Capacity Building Meeting
12th May 2009; Maputo, Mozambique
Outline
• Introduction
• Understanding gender
• Why gender in development and
research?
• Gender as relevant to universities
• Management of universities, research,
teaching and learning
• Experiences from partnership
institutions
• Conclusion
Introduction
• Discourse on the status of women
• Gender discourse since 1980s
• Status of women
– disadvantaged relative to men,
– have less access to resources and benefits
– Have less access to information and decisionmaking,
– Have fewer rights both within the household and in
the public sphere
Understanding Gender
• Gender – relational concept - difference
between♀ and ♂
• Socially constructed
• Changes over time and context specific
• Expectations - characteristics, aptitudes
and likely behaviours of both ♀ and ♂
Understanding Gender
• Assigned economic, social, political and
cultural roles
– differences in needs and interests that
should be addressed equally.
• Allocation and distribution of resources
• Gender is not women
• Sex – biological-male/female; hormones
Why Gender…
• Allows for understanding the status of
♀ and ♂ within a specific sociocultural context
• Gender addresses social, economic,
political constraints faced by ♀ and ♂
• ♀ and ♂ would have different
answers for similar questions
regarding development
The Cycle Differentiated valuing of Gender Roles influence the
Division of labour
work & access support
Existing power relations, Labour is valued differently
Based on who does what?
Reinforce gender roles
Differentiated roles,
work and valuing of work create
Differential access to decision-making,
services and benefits
Why Gender…
• Holistic approach to development
• Address issues of vulnerability
• Interventions - improve the livelihoods
• Create equitable and sustainable
development
• Leads to contented people
☺
Gender in Research
• Use gender to analyse
– economic conditions,
– government bureaucracies,
– socio-cultural factors,
– familial norms,
– training/education &
– religious beliefs, etc
• Gender issues in research require an
understanding of and applying gender analysis
Gender in Research
• Assess differential
– access to power,
– resources, and opportunities,
– division of labour,
– social and gender relations at various levels
of concern
• Applying gender from inception of the
research through all steps of the research
Policy Implications
• Identify beneficiary
• Identify areas of focus
• Design and implement gender responsive
of policy
• Develop intervention strategies
• Lead to sustainable projects
• Reduce inequalities in society
Gender in Higher
Education Institutions
• Historical imbalances -Socialization, culture, lack
of role models, lack of policies
Gender in Higher
Education Institutions
• ‘Namuddu (1995) …higher education institutions and
especially African universities have a critical role to play
in the social and economic transformation of African
societies. …for HE institutions to play this role
effectively, they must provide a model of excellence to
the rest of society as regards gender equity by
embracing the principle of gender equity in their make up
and in their practices. Increased women's participation in
HE is particularly important in the era of globalization
that we live in’. cited in Bunyi, Grace W. (2004) Gender disparities in higher
education in kenya : nature, extent and the way forward . The African Symposium
Vol. 4 No. 1 March 2004
Gender in institutions of higher
education
• HE enables women to participate in the
social, political and economic lives of their
communities and countries as leaders in
business, in the professions and in politics
– (Bunyi, 2004)
Representation of Women
at Makerere University
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Senior Administrative (1-7): 76 ; 42%
Assistant Lecturers 46; 29%
Teaching Assistants 36; 29%
Lecturer level: 115; 19%
Senior Lecturer 35; 10%
Associate Professor 6; 3%
Professor: 3; 6%
•
Kabonesa, Dranzoa, Kanabahita (2009) Makerere gender terrain and national
development . Stakeholders consultative conference (26 to 27 march 2009)
– Insert graghs
Representation of
Women in UL (2005 - 2007)
• Grades 7-9: 51% to 63%
• Lecturer level: 31% to 40%
• Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor,
Professor: 8% to 17%
• Female academics:
– 6 Professors
– 4 Associate Professors
– 27 Senior Lecturers
– Richardson, Ita
Results –why these statistics
• No substantial gender biases at UL through
overt institutional generation.
• Females more involved with teaching and
caring for students at their detriment for
research opportunities.
• Females spend less time on research and
write fewer grant proposals, papers etc
• Male / Females spend comparable time on
administration (female slightly higher)
• Females have fewer appointments to national
/ international bodies
Results
• No substantial gender biases at UL through
overt institutional generation.
• Females more involved with teaching and
caring for students at their detriment for
research opportunities.
• Females spend less time on research and
write fewer grant proposals, papers etc
• Male / Females spend comparable time on
administration (female slightly higher)
• Females have fewer appointments to national
/ international bodies
Group work -- Gender
issues in your university
• Is your university different from Makerere and Limerick?
• Is data available on the status of women and gender
issues in your university?
• Are you aware of, informed about, and sensitive to
gender issues?
• What is the level of gender awareness in your
institution?
• What are the gender issues in access, inclusion,
promotion, and the general climate?
• Do you think that a gender policy is needed in your
university?
Group work
• How would you characterise research
outputs by male and female academic
staff at your institution?
• Are men and women equally involved in
research activities?
• Who sits on research committees?
• Does it matter if women are incuded on
research committees?
Gender and Capacity
Cont.
• Are there specific contraints that women
face?
• What strategies do you have at your
institution that ensures inclusion of women
in research?
• How are your staff motivated to conduct
research that is gender responsive?
• How have you integrated gender in
research programmes?
Conclusion
• Gender is not women
• However women can be targeted to
address historical imbalances
• Gender brings out the views of both
women and men (young and old)
• Gives the vulnerable and disadvantaged a
voice
• Holistic approach to research
Conclusion
• Gender not well understood in academia and
research
• Not easy to conduct gender focused research
• Opportunities in funding/donor interest
• Need for integrating gender in all research
Recommendations
• Promote gender focused, women and men
specific research for sustainable development
• Promote young scholars’ research activities
• Promote collaboration with gender specialists
• Promote collaboration with NGOs
• Create awareness about importance of gender
in research
Source
• Parker A. Rani, Itiziar Lozano and Lyn A.
Messner (1995) Gender Relation Analysis:
A guide to Trainers. CT, Westport: Save
the Children