The Extent to which Females Occupy Leadership Positions in Zimbabwean Teachers Colleges

Abstract

The study explored the effectiveness of female leaders in Zimbabwean teacher training colleges. The study focused on two teacher training colleges in Harare. The research adopted the mixed method approach whereby both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in compliment. The multiple case study design was the plan used to guide the study execution. The population included all the female leaders holding designated posts and lecturers at the two institutions. Purposive sampling was used to come up with a representative sample of 10 female leaders and 30 lecturers. The semi-structured interview and the questionnaire were the tools used to collect data respectively. The findings revealed that female leaders in teachers colleges mainly use democratic and participatory leadership styles. It was also found that female leaders also resort to autocratic styles where they feel their authority is under threat. Most respondents rated the leadership of females in teacher training colleges as effective. The study recommended that the government and civil society should work tirelessly to uproot the systems such as patriarchy that wrongly define Zimbabwean society which hinders development. Society is advised to adopt an attitude that believes in the dictum that says ‘Whatever a man can do a woman can also do.” Thus a change of mindset in this regard. The government and civil society should continuously run campaigns to sensitize the nation on issues to do with females in leadership. Interventions in the form of workshops, seminars and in-service training that are specifically aimed at empowering women and men would be also be useful. Lastly it is recommended that government ensure the implementation of policies such as affirmative action practically and not only on paper. This can be done by close evaluation and monitoring strategies in most institutions. Key terms: Gender, gender equity, gender equality, leadership, attitudes, perceptions.