Factors Affecting Women’s Participation in Leadership and Management in Selected Public Higher Education institutions in Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate factors that facilitate or constrain women to participate in leadership and management in pursuit of scrutinizing the issue of under-representation of women in selected public higher education institutions in Amhara region using a mixed research approach. The study was conducted in three Universities, namely, Bahirdar, Gondar, and Debremarkos. Questionnaire, in-depth interview and document analysis and staff profile data from human resource offices were used as data soliciting means.  Survey data was gathered from a total of 414 academic staffs (321 males and 93 females) using a structured questionnaire to examine the factors (facilitators and constraints). In addition, 30 women who have administration experience were purposively selected to investigate the gap between the desired and present level of need based motivation support provided by the institutions to attract women into leadership. Data collected using the aforementioned instruments were analysed using both qualitative and quantitative (using SPSS Version 20) method of data analysis. Findings from the study revealed that women form a minority of university teachers (11.9%) despite the education policy to raise their share to 20% by the year 2014/15. They are also resentfully under-represented in leadership position; they constitute only 7.1% which is far behind the critical mass standard that women must constitute at least 30% of those in decision making. Self-confidence, Networking opportunities, Self-esteem, Conducive organizational working environment, and Assertiveness are found to be the most important factors pulling women into leadership. To other end, Stereotyping, Patriarchy, Lack of support system at work, Low academic qualification and Lack of role model are the major barriers stifling women to assume leadership positions. Key informants affirmed that women in some cases are even ignored and isolated from academic matters and decisions that affect them. Moreover, the affirmative action policy put in place for action is not bringing the desired change yet as there are several misconceptions about it. This calls for an ambitious interventions on gender disparity in leadership such us engendering leadership through motivating, empowering and involving women in decision making systematically  to narrow down the persisting gap as women hold up half the sky.

Keywords: Ethiopia, public higher education institution, leadership, women.