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Gendered Policies in Ethiopian Higher Education: Are Policy Promises Vanishing with Time?
By Tesfaye Semela
Notwithstanding the dramatic admission of the historical injustice against females in the Ethiopian constitution three decades back and the education policy that reflected the enthusiasm to address gender inequality, in practice, it failed to create a fairly inclusive higher education environment that is friendly to women. The aim of this study is to understand the gaps in the existing policy instruments in terms of ensuring gender equality in Ethiopian higher education. The relevant policies and strategies implemented in higher education were examined using women’s empowerment frameworks as its analytical lens. The findings reveal that the micro-level policies that are enacted since the mid-1990s until the beginning of 2020s are gradually drifting away from the constitutional promise to make up for past historical injustices against women. This is further complicated by the absence of coherence between system and institutional level policies manifested in the form visible gaps and silences vi-a-vis declared aims to redress gender inequality and inequity in higher education. Finally, the study proposes relevant policy directions to come up with viable gendered instruments at the system and institutional levels. © International Association of Universities 2023.
Exploring the influence of leader emotional intelligence on faculty engagement in Ethiopian higher education
By Anteneh T. Asmamaw
Emotional intelligence is increasingly recognized as a key factor in identifying and developing potential leaders. However, there is little empirical support for the application of EI for leadership in higher education. This study explores faculty perceptions of leader EI behavior and its impact on engagement. We used semi-structured interviews and a qualitative descriptive design to analyze the effect of EI leadership on faculty engagement. The study revealed that emotional intelligence is a crucial skill for academic leadership. Findings also indicate that relationship management, empathy, self-management, and self-awareness are critical EI abilities for academic leadership, leading to more staff engagement. We, therefore, encourage university administrators and policymakers to consider emotional intelligence as a criterion for leadership selection and placement in higher education. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Is gender-bias in textbooks spilled over from schools to universities? Evidence from Ethiopian university English language course textbooks
By Mebratu Bachore
The presence of gender bias in school textbooks is a global educational challenge often associated with the hidden curricula. However, while the problem has been almost entirely attributed to general education systems little empirical data exists when it comes to higher education. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to shed light on the uncharted terrain of gender representation in textbooks and learning materials in the higher education context. The study combined quantitative and qualitative content analysis approaches to investigate the magnitude of gender bias. The findings generally show considerable male domination in language use (proper and common nouns and pronouns) and portrayal of actors in prestigious professions like scientists, medical doctors, managers, and top government officials while women are depicted as company employees, school psychologists, and fashion models in pictures and other illustrations used in the textbooks. Finally, the article suggests areas for further research and policy interventions.
Navigating the river Nile: the chronicle of female academics in Ethiopian higher education
By Tesfaye Semela
Beyond the statistics, the underlying causes for women’s absence as academics and leaders in higher education institutions (HEIs) in sub-Saharan African countries have not been sufficiently understood. Taking Ethiopia as an example, this study offers unique insights into the careers of female academic staff. The study employed exploratory sequential mixed method design using secondary analysis of nationwide data, institutional survey, and a follow-up qualitative in-depth interview with 13 female full-time academic staff purposively selected from three major public HEIs. The findings reveal that relative to men, the likelihood that women academics hold the rank of ‘lecturer’ decreases by 50% while the probability of assuming assistant professorship or above declines by 72%. Furthermore, it was found that women’s entry into, and success in academia is impacted by complex set of factors ranging from hegemonic gender beliefs that trigger the use of double standards disfavoring women to deliberate exclusion during selection, employment, promotion, and appointment in leadership positions. Finally, the implications for policy and human resource management practices of HEIs are identified. © 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Education—migration nexus: Understanding youth migration in Southern Ethiopia
By Tesfaye Semela
The purpose of this study is to unravel the education–migration nexus in the African context, specifically Ethiopia. It examines why young people terminate their education to migrate out of the country. The study applies de Haas’ aspiration—capability framework and Turner’s macro, meso and micro sociology as its analytical lenses. It offers unique insight into the terrain of youth migration in southern Ethiopia based on empirical data obtained from two rural sub-districts known for high levels of youth out-migration. Data are generated based on interviews with would-be migrant youth, parents, teachers and school principals. The findings reveal that education has both direct and indirect impacts on youth migration. On the other hand, the results indicate that though terminating school could have negative ramifications on human capital accumulation at micro and macro levels, migration can positively impact households and local communities through investments made by individual migrants, migrant-returnees, and remittance-receiving households in small businesses or community development projects, which included better resourced schools. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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