Gender dimensions in higher Education Institutions in East Africa

The need for increasing women representation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) has become a global concern. Universities in Africa have been compelled to develop, sustain and nurture both men and women who are capable of generating knowledge and competencies that will lead Africa into a new era. This paper reviews literature on enrollments and staffing in Africa universities with particular focus on Uganda and Kenya. The review concludes that low enrollment of female students in HEIs are still widespread in Africa Universities especially at undergraduate level which translates to low output of female PhD graduates in HEIs. Also there is relatively low representation of women in leadership positions which is affecting the decision making processes hence retarding development processes. Furthermore, women are still concentrated at lower levels of academic ranks compared to their male counter parts. To increase women participation there is need for gender responsive policies and strategies, such as affirmative action and innovative women-focused recruitment and staff development. This can be boosted through establishing networks and alliances with national and international organizations and supporting mentorship and gender mainstreaming in African universities.