Social Justice and Social Justice Leadership: Perspectives of Women and Disables in one of Public Universities in Ethiopia

Abstract

This qualitative research was aimed at exploring prevailing scenarios related to social justice and social justice leadership as perceived by women and disables in selected public university of Ethiopia. Interpretive phenomenological research method was employed. Ten research participants, including women and people with disabilities, were selected using purposive sampling technique. Data were also collected using semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions, and analyzed qualitatively using narrations. Accordingly, the research result indicated that participants were not so strange for the concepts related to social justice and social justice leadership albeit their understanding differs. Participants pointed out that community perception towards women and disable people are not so fair and progressive, and tailored policies and strategies are not made available and being implemented in the study context. It was also indicated that different forms of sexual harassments, discomfited classroom buildings, toilets, shower rooms, dining rooms, and distances between classrooms and dormitories were enumerated as major inconveniences and reflection of injustices encountering women and people with disabilities in the study context. On top of this, unjust practices in areas of staff recruitment and promotion in the study context were major challenges identified in this research result. Hence, it is high time for the study context to realize and look critically those discriminatory practices resulting in a lot of injustices among members; and take actions pertinent to national and international agreements and legal frameworks and thereby, ensure social justices in its compound.