Recent research on women's experiences in higher education in Ghana is limited. These few studies have been insufficient, therefore, to serve as a basis for rectifying the ongoing gender imbalances in higher education. Higher education is the portal to enhancing the status of women, especially in developing societies such as Ghana. Increasing the numbers of women in higher education is not the only answer to obtaining gender equality. Pragmatic solutions are needed to improve gender equality.
This study sought to examine the experiences of women in higher education in Ghana by considering the challenges that women face as faculty and administrators. It explored factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of women in senior positions within the universities and further investigated the policies that have been adopted to influence gender equity.
Postcolonial feminist theory, which asserts that women were doubly colonialized by imperial and patriarchal ideologies, offers a reasonable way to understand the experiences of women in higher education in Ghana. Twenty faculty members and administrators representing three public universities were selected for this study. Interviews were adopted to highlight the importance of the women's individual voices on issues that affect them.
Research findings from in-depth interviews and document analysis showed that women faculty and administrators were highly underrepresented. The majority of respondents cited conflicts in managing their multiple roles as mothers, wives and workers, interrupted careers, impact of family dynamics, lack of mentoring and networks, and the power of the "old boys" network as key issues. The results showed a mixed perception of the prioritization of gender issues within the structures of the institutions. It further revealed that two of the universities in the study have instituted Gender Units to focus on gender issues. Additionally, there is a provision for externally funded opportunities for female faculty and administrators at the universities. However, the patriarchal culture of the universities serves to undermine women's authority and frames their identity in subordinated paradigms. The participants of the study exhibited attributes such as perseverance, ability to plan, and the determination to succeed as pivotal characteristics that aided them in their struggle to advance.