Gender Gaps in the Student Organisation: The UDSM Main Campus
At the gender sensitisation workshop held in May 2000[1], it was noted that there was a form of imbalance between the numbers of male and female students represented in the organisation’s leadership.
As of May 2000, female students contributed to: 7.7% of Board Members; 15% of USRC members; 7.7% of full ministers; 9% of deputy ministers; 45% of principal secretaries; 33.3% of Executive Committee Secretariat members; and 4.4% of the 90 candidates who ran for student leadership elective positions. Moreover it was elaborated that the female candidate who contested for the Vice Presidential position, clinched 44.89% of the votes casted against a field of 4 contestants (the other 3 contestants were male).
There is still an element of male chauvinism against female candidates; low self esteem among some of the would be female candidates; stereotype attitudes as regards what female students can or cannot do; poor motivation; lack of support from among other female students; and, over-sensitisation of failures or low performance of earlier female student leaders.
In quest to address some of these measures, it was suggested by the student leaders at that point, to amend the constitution so that it became more gender considerate; to state clearly the issue of proportionality between males and females; to sensitize female students into participate effectively in leadership; and, to increase the number of female students in the organisation.
Gender Gaps in the Student Organisation: The MUCHS Campus
The number of members in the student organisation at MUCHS in May 1999 was about 20. This comprised of 14 male and 6 female students (a ratio of 70% to 30%). At that time it was insisted that female students refused to take leadership roles, even those attained through appointment or nomination.
However, in the May 2000 gender sensitisation workshop, it was mentioned by the student leaders that the proportion of females and males among the student leaders was 6 to 22 (or 27% to 73%). Irrespective of the high proportion of females among the leadership, there were no female students who held the top positions such as the Presidency, Vice Presidency and General Secretary. Instead, female students held the following positions: 2 deputy ministers (out of 7 deputies); and 3 female Principal Secretaries (out of 7 PSs).
Gender Gaps in the Student Organisation: The UCLAS Campus
According to the student leaders from UCLAS who attended the gender sensitisation workshop in May 2000, among the key gender gaps that they had identified for action was the low number of female students in leadership positions at the UCLAS Campus. At that particular time female students made 24% of the leaders (approximately 19), and held such potions as: Minister of Entertainment and Cultural Affairs; Deputy Minister of Sports and Games; Deputy Minister of Health and Student Welfare; and, Principal Secretary in Student Politics, Relations and Constitution.
The cause for low involvement of female students in the student government was mentioned as being: low enrolment of female students at the campus; the aggressive and competitive nature of student politics; the punching of students; and the general misconception among male students that female students are favoured at the campus.
Gender Issues in the Halls of Residence
Accommodation has always been an area where students are generally dissatisfied. During the gender sensitisation workshop in February 1999, it was mentioned by the student representatives from the main campus that 45% of all male students enrolled in the main campus (e.g., 1800) had acquired accommodation at the hill, as compared to 95% of all female students (e.g., 600). This was said to have been motivated by considerations on security for the female students, and especially to minimize the risks for rape, sexual harassment and other hazards on living off-campus. Moreover it was suggested that boarding facilities were also provided to female students as an incentive to encourage them enroll to the University.
Gender Gaps in the Halls of Residence: The UCLAS Campus
At the MUCHS campus, there were 300 male students who had secured accommodation at the campus as compared to 109 female students as of February 1999 (another 38 students of undetermined sex were apparently accommodated outside the campus). The arguments for high rate of accommodation among female students, was on their small numbers at the campus.
As regards the main campus, the actual number of students enrolled, as of February 1999, was put at 4,101 students, whereas this gives a breakdown of 3,365 males and 736 females (or 18%). At UCLAS it was mentioned at the May 1999 sensitisation workshop that the number of students accommodated at the campus were 405, of whom 341 were males and 64 females (16% of students boarding at the college).
Gender Gaps in the Halls of Residence: The MUCHS Campus
In the sensitisation workshop held in May 1999, it was revealed that there were 421 students at the campus, whereas the gender breakdown was not readily established then. However, there were around 109 female students accommodated at the campus in the previous year. About 38 students were said to have been accommodated outside the campus.
A later gender sensitisation workshop, held in May 2000, identified female students as not being equally concerned of accommodation as an issue due to the fact that most of them had secured residency on campus. The student representatives also mentioned that female students displayed poor solidarity and communication with their male colleagues.
Among solutions suggested for solving some of the gender gaps observed in the Halls of Resident at MUCHS included: DARUSO introducing a network of communications by electing male and female Hall Representatives who were to report to the Minister of Accommodation; sensitisation of the resident students on the importance of personal freedom and respect for other resident students; and, addressing issues where female students were not cooperating effectively (such as School Baraza, USRC meetings, Executive Committees, Library, and, or Emergency meetings). It has still to be verified whether these actions have been effected.
Gender Gaps in the Halls of Residence: The UDSM Main Campus
In the gender sensitisation workshop held in February 1999, the student leaders mentioned that only 45% of all male students at the university (1,800), and that 95% the female students enrolled at the university (600), were accommodated at the campus. By the May 1999 workshop, it was insisted that all female students were accommodated at the main campus (which was not really entirely so). However, it was mentioned that the University Council had a policy of accommodating foreign students, female students, and disabled students (in that order of priority). Therefore male students were a last priority.
As of May 2000, out of 3,016 students accommodated at the main campus, 700 were females (23% of those accommodated). In all, 82% of the female students at the main campus had secured accommodation, while about 42% of the general population of students enrolled at the university college, were provided with accommodation.
Gender Issues in the Classroom
According to the Institutional Transformational Programme’s 5-Year Rolling Strategic Plan (PMU/UDSM 2000), it is mentioned in Strategic Objective #13, sub objective 13.4, to “improve the average male:female students ratio in all faculties from 3 - 21.6% (1995/96), to between 20 and 30% within five years”.
In general the overall number of students at the University of Dar Es Salaam’s 3 campuses has been on the increase over the recent years. For instance at Main Campus, enrolment between 1995/96 and 2000/01, has increased from 1,300 to 4,224; from 365 to 707 at MUCHS; and, 91 to 672 at UCLAS (from 1996/97). This gives a total of 5,603 students in all 3 campuses during the year 2000/01 (of whom 1,681 or 30%, were female). But a much closer observation of the statistics hereunder shows that the rate of changes and its gender gains vary between the campuses.
Gender Issues in the Classroom Environment: The MUCHS Campus
Statistics from February 1999 show that there were about 447 students at MUCHS, this is around 210% more students between these years. At that time, the proportion of female students was 24%, which is about a 4 percentage point difference to the current figure. Although there has been an obvious improvement in terms of the number of students enrolled at the campus, the proportion between male and female students has not improved equally remarkably. In point of fact, it seems that female students continue to lag behind in terms of the catching-up goal. For instance, the number of male students seems to have doubled by nearly 199%, while that of female students has increased by 245%.
The ratio between female and male students at MUCHS has changed negligibly from 1:1.3 to 1:1.4 between the two periods. In other words, although there is an overall increase in nominal numbers of female and male students enrolled at the campus, the gender gap has not been improved as regards the ration between the sexes, but instead it has declined or widened.
The university administration at MUCHS should be more concerned with decreasing the ratios rather than merely satisfying themselves with increased populations. This goal was actually stated way back in May 2000, when the student representatives suggested that one cause of the disparity between male and female students was due to low numbers of female students (compared to male students), being enrolled at the college each year.
Gender Issues in the Classroom Environment: The UCLAS Campus:
The classroom environment at UCLAS was deemed as skewed in favour of male students since May 1999, and still remains so. The number of female students enrolled at the campus has increased impressively in nominal terms, from 8 to 70 students in a period of 4 years (or a factor increase of about 8.7).
Nonetheless, if one looks at the changes in the ratio between male and female students in the mentioned period, one realizes that female students have experienced a less dramatic improvement when compared to male students. For instance, while the ratio of male to female students was 5.5 male students to each female student in 1997/98, this had changed to 8.6 male students to each female student. In other words, the ratio shows that the expansion is more favourable to male students than it is to female students.
Indeed, the expansion is managed in such a way that it further aggravates the gender imbalances at the campus. This is even more lamentable due to the fact that the Main Campus which neighbours UCLAS has managed to make impressive improvements in the male:female student ratio within the same period, from a 6.5 to 1 ratio in 19995/96 to a nearly 1.95 to 1 ratio in 2000/01. It is undeniable that the deteriorating gender ratios at UCLAS call for closer scrutiny and immediate action.
Gender Issues in the Classroom Environment: The UDSM Main Campus:
At the Main Campus, as of February 1999, there were a total of 4,101 students, or 3,365 male and 736 female students enrolled. The proportion of female students was, at that time, a mere 18%. Reasons for having small numbers of female students were stated as being: most girls not meeting the minimum selection criteria; low enrollment of school girls in secondary schools; and the overall negative socialization of girls as regards higher education.
Increasing the enrolment of students at the Main Campus has been one of the University Transformation goals since 1992. The total number of students enrolled at the Main Campus has increased from 973 students in 1992/93 to around 4,224 in the 2000/01 academic year. This is a 334% increase in the total enrolment figures. However, comparing between the growth of enrolment for male and female students, it appears that while male students have increased from 784 to 2796 (a 256% increase), that of female students has increased from 189 to 1,428 (a 655% increase). In a way this proves that the University Administration has gone all out to boost the overall increase of female students at the campus.
Comparing the change in terms of ratios we observe that the ratios of male and female students between the two comparative academic years, has changed from 4 to 1 in 1992/93, to 2 to 1 in the 2000/01 academic year. This is an extremely remarkable adjustment or achievement towards creating gender balance on enrolment of male and female students at the main campus, and gives room for optimism in overcoming the remaining gap.
[1] DARUSO Student Leader’s 4th Sensitisation Workshop (13th to 14th May 2000). Report by Edward Mhina. May 2000. page 41.
Extracted from a Report by Edward Hiza Mhina, on “DARUSO Student Leader’s 6th Sensitization Workshop - 26th to 27th October 2002”
No comments:
Post a Comment