Higher education, gender and the quest for democratic communication in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

In this chapter the subject of higher education, gender and democratic communication in Sub-Saharan Africa is discussed. Adopting feminist standpoint epistemology, the main thesis is that gender disparities in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is far from being resolved despite the promotion of democratic communication to bring the patriarchal influence to the fore. Located in the interpretivist paradigm and utilising ethnography as the strategy of inquiry, the chapter discussion offers insight into the inevitable need for transforming the curricula of many HEIs in Sub-Saharan Africa towards gender sensitivity. Guided by the key research question: what influence does patriarchy have on the curricula of HEIs in Sub-Saharan Africa? The generation of data to embellish the chapter discussion followed the use of emailed questionnaires to a sample size of 100 participants. Following a thematic approach to data analysis, the key findings of the study included that in many of the HEIs in Sub-Saharan Africa, gender role socialisation has an enormous influence on democratic communication. While the conclusion drawn was that the influence of hegemonic masculinity on student in HEIs is almost insurmountable, the key recommendation was that unless gender role socialisation is overhauled, the attainment of gender parity in HEIs remains elusive.