Career development practices and gender equity in higher education

Abstract

Diversity management is a process that creates a positive work environment for employees through valuing them regardless of their similarities and differences. Gender equity suggests a fair separation of labour, rights, obligations and responsibilities between men and women through creating a fair organisational culture in respect of gender. The purpose of this research is to explore the current status of gender equity among faculty members and administrative staff in a higher education institution, and to develop a set of potential career development interventions that would promote gender equity in higher education. This paper builds on Schein's Human Resources Planning and Development basic model and relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings indicate that university executives acknowledge the importance of promoting gender equity within the university and recognise that efforts and managerial actions still need to be taken to promote gender equity among faculty and staff.