Factors Affecting Females' Participation in Leadership Positions at Addis Ababa University
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2016-07-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to investigate factors that affect women's participation in leadership positions at Addis Ababa University and identify possible strategies that can be used to enhance women's participation. A descriptive survey design was used to conduct the study.Data were collected fi'om six colleges of the University using questionnaires, interview guides and document analysis. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were applied. The participants included 98 females and 24 males. The respondents were selected using stratified random sampling and purposive sampling methods for both the women and male managers. The findings from the study suggested that in Addis Ababa University women 's participation in key decision-making positions is still minimal. The finding showed that the major factors that hinder women 's participation in leadership and decision making positions in the University are various and observed interrelated. In the university only one women has been appointed as vice-president position in the past 60 years, there are no female deans of colleges out of 14 positions, and out of 46 only two women were serving as deans offaculties. The study further revealed that, of the forty one directors of the institutes in the university only two women have got/en the chance to be a director, and of the ten heads of research in the university no female were assigned as a directors. According to this study there are several factors at the personal, institutional, socio cultural and family factors preventing qualified women from ascending to senior positions in university. At the personal level such factors like lack of confidence and, at the institutional level political appointments and unclear promotion criteria, in case of social factor men get social support than women and dominance of male networks and alliances, in case of family related cases lack of Psychological/intellectual/emotional support from family were among the major ones.
Description
Keywords
Women's participation