The Role and Impact of Women Academics in Promoting Gender Equality and Womens Human Rights in the Great

Lakes Region
Jolly RUBAGIZA

Introduction The position of women academics in Africa in general and the Great Lakes Region in particular reflects a global trend whereby women continue to be under represented in higher status and rewarding positions. The academic field however unlike other areas largely remains impenetrable. It has been argued that principles, which have traditionally organized the academy, have largely ignored women (Wanda, 2005). Even where they exist in the academic arena women staff tend to be concentrated in lower grades or less secure posts such as teaching and research assistants with hardly any holding positions of responsibility. This status quo raises serious questions about gender equality and the role of women in higher education. This paper will largely focus on the Rwandan experience but also draw some examples from other countries in the Great Lakes region.

Some statistics from Rwanda It must be noted that formal education for girls/women started much later, almost 40 years after the first boys/men had been introduced to formal education by the colonialists. It is no wonder therefore that education for women still lags behind today, and will require tremendous and deliberate efforts to attain an equal level with men and boys, bearing in mind all the social cultural and economic constraints still in place. Taking the example of the two largest institutions of higher learning in Rwanda, The National University of Rwanda (UNR) and Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), women and men academic staff are represented as follows: Academic Staff 2004 Institution Females UNR 21% KIST 16% Source Ministry of Education Rwanda

Males 79% 84%

Presently there are no women in the top administration of any academic institution in Rwanda (at the level of Rector or Vice Rector). This under representation of women in academia in Rwanda and many other countries may also limit their participation and contribution in promoting gender equality in the rest of the society. For example, it has been argued that due to absence of institutional support for their activism, 1

most women in academics tend to work in isolation, thus making their contribution less visible.

Contributions of women academics Although women are under represented in the academic field and usually lack institutional support to promote gender equality, there has been no shortage of academic womens involvement in the womens movements, policy-related and advocacy issues in the Great Lakes region and elsewhere in Africa. a. Advocacy and participation at different levels It is indeed important to note that many a times women academics in this region have not confined themselves to their offices or arm-chair research but have worked hand in hand with womens groups and existing structures to promote gender equality. For example with regard to issues such as gender-based violence, a number of women have condemned and criticized this violation through different forum including their written works. On the other hand, others have worked closely with NGOs, government institutions, and donor agencies on research-related activities, consultancy and law reform, particularly in the area of promoting womens rights and gender equality. In Rwanda women academics joined other women in last years competition for representation on the Womens Councils right from the Cell level (lowest administrative structure) to the National level. A number of them were elected at different levels to work on a voluntary basis on these women councils. b. Gender and women studies Women academics in the Great Lakes region have been instrumental in starting centers and departments for Womens Studies. Take for example the Department of Women and Gender Studies at Makerere University Kampala (MUK) in Uganda; the department has not only contributed to scholarship in Gender and Womens studies, but also organizes outreach programs, conducts gender training and awareness sessions, short evening courses, among others. In Rwanda at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), short courses in women and technology have started to train rural women in the use of appropriate technology. In addition women academics in the region have contributed to the establishment of an affirmative action scheme to increase the admission of female undergraduates. Although this has largely been opposed in the case of Rwanda, the reality on the ground may soon require some form of affirmative action if we are to boost the numbers of women entering higher education. Women academics in Rwanda have also worked closely with the Rwandan First Ladies project PACFA, on the promotion of education for the girl child. This has largely been through sensitization, building role models, etc. 2

Challenges As pointed out earlier women academics are still faced with a number of challenges that may render their contributions minimal or invisible. a. Under representation The fact that women are under represented in the academic arena and the few who are there do not hold positions of responsibility tends to give women less bargaining power and limited opportunity to influence decisions or other initiatives to promote gender equality and womens human rights. Thus many of them prefer to work on their research projects and in isolation, therefore rendering their contributions less significance. b. Lack of networks Unlike the male academic staff who seem to be able to use unofficial networks to learn from colleagues, women in equal need of such support are more likely to miss out on information sharing and informal mutual help from within their institutions since they are in the minority in most departments. Indeed the absence of a supportive network among women academics whether official or unofficial fragments their efforts and contributions towards the womens cause. To cite the example of Rwanda where women have come together to form different associations and fora from the grass roots up to the level of parliament, women academics have yet to create such official networks to give them a voice or platform from which to work in order promote gender equality. c. Other constraints It is important to note too that the academic profession requires large investments of time and energy, you either perform or you are out. As observed academic institutions have masculinist institutional cultures (Theron, 2002), and women academics are increasingly under pressure to perform in this masculine environment. This is compounded by the fact that that in addition to a heavy work-load which most of them have to juggle with family responsibilities, they may have limited extra time to join efforts with other women groups. It is not surprising therefore that sometimes women academics are shunned by their fellow women and seen as uncaring or unconcerned about issues geared towards the promotion of gender equality.

Recommendations Having looked at the contributions of women academics and challenges they still face, it is important that we seek a way forward to make more effective the contributions of women academics in promoting gender equality.

a. The role of academic institutions Academic institutions have to shed off the more traditional stance usually taken that tends to exclude womens participation. They have to emulate other institutions that have tried to promote gender equality through deliberate programs to recruit women to boost their numbers in academia. They should offer institutional support to women academics and other male colleagues in their efforts to promote gender equality and womens human rights if we are to integrate gender equality as an essential element in development strategies. b. Create networks Women academics have to endeavor to create strong networks within their institutions and with sister institutions in order to support each others efforts and promote collaboration on different programs and activities that may be geared towards gender equality and respect for womens rights. There is need for such networks to plan together and strategize on how best to work with other womens groups and other agencies both local and international in order to make their contributions more visible. c. Capacity building There is need to establish more academic institutions within the region in the discipline of women and gender studies in order to promote intellectual leadership and contribute to the intellectual development of gender and development studies. Many women academics would benefit from short training programs and practical knowledge, and experience gained from such institutions would enhance their capacity to contribute towards gender equality and promotion of womens human rights in the Great Lakes Region.

Conclusion Although women academics have made some contributions towards the promotion of gender equality, there is need for a more concerted effort to make their role and impact more effective. This will require support from institutions of higher learning, local networks and support from international agencies like UNESCO.

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