Practices And Challenges Of Female Academic Staff Participation In Leadership Positions At Addis Ababa University

This study is aimed at assessing the practices and challenges of female academic staff participation inrnleadership position at Addis Ababa University. To conduct this study descriptive survey design wasrnused. The study has both qualitative and quantitative nature. The total number of participants in thernstudy was 413, including 28 former and 12 current females’ academic leaders, 29 top managers, 6rnmiddle, 51 lower and 287 instructors from 5 colleges and one institute in Addis Ababa University.rnPurposive sampling was used to select top level leaders, colleges and institute which have female leadersrncurrently, while availability sampling was used to select middle, lower and female leaders. Since thernacademic staff number is large proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select instructorsrnas a sample. From the total 1438 population 20% instructors are used as subjects. The subjects arernselected randomly based on willingness of instructors. Open ended and closed ended questionnaire andrnsemi-structural interviews were employed as data collecting instruments. The quantitative data werernanalyzed by using descriptive statistics, frequency counting, and percentage. Cross tabulation wasrnemployed to analyze the demographic characteristics of the respondents. In addition to female leaders andinstructors, University gender office director and founders of male involvement were addressed throughrninterview using interview guides. The data gathered through open ended and semi-structured interviewsrnwere analyzed through narrations to support the results obtained from quantitative analysis. The majorrnfindings of female academicians in educational leadership participation showed that they were effective,rnas can be seen from the available low number of females in leadership position. However, femalernacademic statuses in leadership position were impeded by lack of appropriate information to makernappropriate decision and variety of stereotypes. Moreover there are different factors that have hinderedrnfemales’ academic staffs participation in educational leadership position. These factors are generallyrncategorized into three types namely institutional, societal and individual. But institutional and societalrnfactors are the major factors affecting the participation of females in leadership position according to thernfemale respondents’ responses. To begin with the major institutional factors,rnwomen remain underrepresented in leadership participation. The societal factors on the other hand arernresistance of our culture towards women in leadership position. However, the gender balance in AddisrnAbaba University should be increased in proportion to the number of males exists in the leadershiprnpositions. Policy, strategy and other regulations should be implemented. There are also differentrnmechanisms that strongly recommended by the majority of respondents in order to increase femalernacademicians in leadership position. These are encouraging women’s professional development andrnparticipation of female academic in different committee and making provision to balance gender differencernin leadership role.

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