Causes of Gender Discrepancies in Academic Promotions in Higher Education in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe.

Abstract

This study explored the causes of gender discrepancies in academic promotions in 
higher education institutions in Masvingo Province: Zimbabwe. It was hinged on four 
thematic areas, namely: gendered discourses in Masvingo’s higher education 
institutions, disabling perceptions of gender equity in Higher Education in Masvingo, 
disabling gendered practices in Higher education in Masvingo, and role of higher 
education institutions in addressing challenges of gender discrepancies in higher 
education promotions in Masvingo institutions. The study was premised on the social 
constructivist perspective. Qualitative research methodology was employed for the 
study and an interpretivist philosophy was adopted. An ethnographic design was 
adopted and data were collected through personal interviews, observations and critical 
discourse analysis. The population of the study included both male and female 
academics who have been teaching in universities in Masvingo for more than five 
years. Sampling methods used for identifying the sample from two universities were 
convenience as well as purposive sampling. From each university, ten participants (five 
females and five males) were purposively selected, giving a total of twenty 
participants. Data were analysed using the thematic approach. Findings highlighted that 
gendered discourses, disabling perceptions and disabling gendered practices all 
contribute to gender discrepancies in academic promotions in Masvingo’s higher 
education institutions. Findings showed a lag in time between age of promotion for 
male academics and female academics, with female academics receiving promotions to 
senior lecturer and professorial grades at later ages than their male counterparts. The 
study highlighted that higher education institutions have a central role in addressing 
challenges of gender discrepancies in higher education promotions in Masvingo.