Makerere Gender Mainstreaming Acting Director, Florence Nyachwo has expressed concern over the increasing gender inequality at the country’s oldest University.
The concern was raised during the Gender and Leadership Workshop held on Saturday at Makerere University Senate building.
Nyachwo noted that the current statistics still show that despite many interventions, men are still holding many leadership and academic positions at the university than women.
“Gender comparison as in December 2016 reveal that 1, 035 male personnel are employed to work in the academic sector compared to 371 women. 178 men are employed in Administrative positions against 145 women in the same,” Nyachwo revealed.
Makerere Gender Mainstreaming Directorate members at the Senate Building
Nyachwo however highlighted that this would be worse if the directorate of gender mainstreaming had not intervened.
“For example, in 2005, we had only one female professor but down the road we saw the number has increased though it hasn’t been substantial taking into account the number of female staff at the university,” Nyachwo remarked.
Makerere’s Academic Registrar Alfred Masikye Namoah
“We believe that once we get more funding, more women shall be mobilized and brought on board to take up administrative and leadership positions at the University.”
However, Makerere University Academic Registrar Alfred Masikye noted that the wide gap is caused by lack of interest by women in some positions.
“I don’t see a major difference because when positions are advertised, both men and women are given equal opportunity, the appointments board also as a body is constituted of both male and female.
“I think what is needed to be done is encouraging the women to be in position to be themselves for different positions when need arises,” Masikye advised.