Practice

5.7.2.1 Provision of guidance and counselling services

The study recommends that the institution provide guidance and counselling specialists who are well trained and readily available so as to attend to female students who in most cases face many challenges as compared to their male counterparts. Guidance and counselling services are crucial so as to alleviate the students from stress and also for them to regain their self esteem and confidence. It is also very important to have special counselling rooms which allow for privacy and confidentiality since some of the issues are typical to females. There is need for the institution to have ways of monitoring and supervising the provision of the guidance and counselling services so as to ensure that female students get the counselling that is tailor made and helps them to find ways of improving their academic performance.

5.7.2.2 Provision of resources

Institutions of higher learning, with the support of the government and other stakeholders, need to give preference to female students when distributing resources since this study has revealed that female students have more needs as compared to their male counterparts. Families are also encouraged to distribute resources to their children equally considering that female and male children are equally important and considering the fact that females require more resources than male children. The institutions should involve female students in projects which empower them financially.

5.7.2.3 Attitudes of lecturers and parents

Institutions of higher education can cultivate and nurture positive attitudes in parents, lecturers and students towards females through workshops and paper media in order to achieve gender equity. The Division of Students’ Affairs should be in charge of programmes that nurture the attitudes of both lecturers and students. The government and non-

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governmental organisations may also intensify their efforts to the change of attitudes of parents, students, teachers and lecturers through training in order to achieve gender equity. Programmes that focus on a change in attitudes may also target all other stake holders such as the Christian community and the society in general in order to reach all people and achieve gender equality.

5.7.2.4 Training of Lecturers

The study recommends that lecturers who are holders of non-teaching degrees be give in house training by the university so that they acquire teaching skills. Lecturers may also be encouraged to acquire a post graduate diploma in education as a pre-requisite for a lecturing post.

5.7.2.5 A model for improving the academic performance of the female university students

The model being proposed by L. Manwa is a reflection of the suggestions from all the participants, literature and the theoretical framework on how to improve the academic performance of the female university students. The model was designed based on the main theory that informed this study, Sameroff’s transactional theory. A contextualised study of problems faced by a group of people is a sound approach that considers the details of the nurture process which represents the transaction between the female student and the environment. Eagly’s social role theory states that females are socialised to conform to the norms and values of the dominant culture which initiates them in their gender specific roles. Ford (2002:19) acknowledges that gender roles affect female students and compromise their academic performance. The special feature of this model is the emphasis on the introduction of a policy on tracking mechanisms that ensure effectiveness of the implementation of suggested solutions.

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Figure 5.1: A proposed L. Manwa (2014) model for improving the academic performance of female university students

1. Policies that advocate emancipation of females from gendered chores 4. Education on deconstruction of gendered codes through workshops, paper and electronic

media

2. Inclusion of gender

studies at all education levels

3. Fair provision and

distribution of resources and services by the family and institution

5. Monitoring and evaluation

Improved academic performance of Female university

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The model shows that all the variables are linked in such a way that they cannot be treated in isolation. This implies that the suggested solutions if implemented individually cannot totally solve the problem. The problems revealed in this model are a societal problem that affects all females regardless of colour, creed or social status. The suggested solutions can also be used as a buffer that reduces the impact of the problem on the female university student.

Component 1: Policies that advocate emancipation of females from gendered chores and follow up mechanisms

The study recommends policies that advocate for neutral gendered roles which are considered as a major change which can improve the performance of the female university students. As Watkins (2000:196) says, feminism brings hope of freedom from domestic chores to females as they advocate for gender neutrality. The policy should adopt feminist views and include sections that gradually influence family and the community beliefs that regard the female child as inferior to the male child to value the female child as equally important as the male child. Policies to check the effectiveness of each suggested solution should be developed. Feminists and other women’s organisations, including female university student forums, should be involved in policy making and in charge of follow up mechanisms backed by the government and non-governmental organisations.

Component 2: Inclusion of gender studies at all education levels

The inclusion of gender studies from primary level through tertiary may be used as a means to influence a change in attitudes of parents, males, lecturers and the society in general on gendered cultural issues which affect female children. Many societies in the world treat the female child as secondary to the male child and believe that the female child is born to be a carer (Rank, 2012:4; McKie, 2010:1; Skinner, 2009:290; Haralambos & Holborn, 2008:91; Jensen, 2006:4; Ford, 2002:19; Watkins, 2000:193). Eagly’s social role theory, which is one of the theories that underpins this study, asserts that the socialisation process is a tool used to instil cultural beliefs, gendered expectations, values and norms in humans. Hence, education as part of the secondary socialisation process can be used as a tool to reverse the damage already done. Attitudes of lecturers and the challenges faced by female university students from the lecture room perspective can be improved when they are educated on gender issues. Competence of lecturers can be improved if they are trained to accommodate the female

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Component 3: Education on deconstruction of gender codes through workshops, paper and electronic media

The influence of family beliefs that regard the female child as inferior to the male child can be changed through workshops, paper and electronic media such monographs, newspaper columns, magazines and electronic journals, the internet and television programmes that conscientise the families and the community in general that the female child is equally important as the male child. Respected men such as chiefs and church leaders may be involved in campaigns that encourage gender equity and maintaining the cultural fabric of the nation. Fair distribution of domestic chores among children, regardless of sex, can also be covered through workshops by the Zimbabwean Ministry of Gender. Campaigns done through the media and workshops are encouraged in order to conscientise the female students on the influence of beliefs that are disadvantaging them. Gendered codes are internalised by females to the extent that unconsciously gendered chores affect their academic performance (Ford, 2002:20). Available media may help in reinforcing the need for the deconstruction of gender beliefs.

Component 4: Fair provision and distribution of resources and services

The proposed model advocates for a fair distribution of resources from the family to institutional level. The institution may give preference to the female student as a gesture of fair distribution of resources. The family, government and all other stakeholders should consider that females are equally vulnerable in terms of resources. The fact that females are the poorest and most marginalised in the world should initiate calls for special funds for empowering women. Guidance and counselling services tailor made for the female students should be put in place and be readily available.

Component 5: Monitoring and evaluation

Implementation of policies requires tracking changes through monitoring and evaluation programmes which ensure that the policies are implemented in the correct manner. Monitoring will also assist in checking for weaknesses so as to improve the policies and the implementation process. Inclusion of gender studies at all educational levels needs to be

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monitored to ensure that the inclusion is properly implemented. Monitoring and evaluation of education on deconstruction of gender codes through workshops, paper and electronic media need assessment to ensure that all key players. Evaluation is necessary to determine whether the education provided is achieving its intended goal of conscientising families and the community in general that the female child is as important as the male child. Provision and distribution of resources and services needs monitoring to ensure that intended beneficiaries receive them and that the distribution is done fairly. Evaluation of the provision and distribution of resources and services will go a long way in identifying areas for improvement, It is only when the components mentioned above (1 to 4) are monitored and evaluated, that improvement in the academic performance of the female university students can be realised.