ERIC Number: EJ1380604
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0729-4360
EISSN: EISSN-1469-8366
Why Are Women Opting out of Academic Careers in Higher Education in Ghana? Implication for Policy and Practice
Ayentimi, Desmond Tutu; Abadi, Hossein Ali
Higher Education Research and Development, v42 n1 p18-32 2023
This article is grounded on an exploratory inquiry to explain the low rates of female academics in Ghana's higher education sector and its implication for higher education policy and practice. Though our article shows the continued presence of institutional barriers, the evidence suggests that these are strongly fortified by dispositional (women's choices), and situational (cultural) barriers largely instigated by societal norms and social pressures. The evidence in this article suggests that earlier literature has taken too narrow a view of the nature of barriers to women's career advancement in the higher education sector in the particular context of Ghana. The traditional gender norms are the main barrier to women pursuing academic careers, both because they influence what other people think a woman can do, or should choose to do, and because women have in many cases internalised these gender norms and share them. Our article highlights key implications for higher education policy towards female employment participation.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Females, College Faculty, Higher Education, Educational Policy, Barriers, Cultural Influences, Behavior Standards, Social Behavior, Social Influences, Sex Role, Career Choice
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ghana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A