THE PERCEIVED NATURE AND EXTENT OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION IN BOTSWAN
Munyae M. Mulinge
Abstract: Workplace conditions for male and female teaching professionals in primary schools, secondary schools and colleges were analysed to assess whether the profession favours men over women, whether male and female teachers differ in their affective orientation toward work and whether they differ in their valuation of workplace conditions. The results showed that moderate levels of discrimination in recruitment characterize the teaching profession. Group mean comparisons utilising t-tests showed that, although both men and women reported moderate levels of discrimination, female teachers were significantly higher in reporting discrimination during hiring but equal to men in discrimination in the workplace.
Results for gender differences in workplace conditions showed that female teachers substantially differ from men only in eight of 19 workplace conditions analysed. Female teachers were significantly lower in upward communication and task significance (the intrinsic rewards); in pay (extrinsic reward) and in grievance procedures (social support condition) but substantially higher in the four stresses of work overload, role ambiguity, role conflict and sexual harassment. Women were also higher in participation in decision-making. Concerning affective orientations toward work, female teachers were substantially lower in job satisfaction but higher in organizational commitment and intent to stay in the teaching profession. Overall, both males and females were shown to value workplace conditions highly. It was concluded that, although women teaching professionals do not encounter high levels of disadvantages in their jobs, they are not yet equal partners with their male counterparts.
The study investigates the working conditions of women employees in the informal sector in Kampala, Uganda, by examining the nature of the employee-employer relationships. Data were collected mainly through unstructured interviews, in-depth interviews with key respondents and through observations. Additional data were collected from secondary sources such as textbooks and newspapers. The study has discovered that such factors as age, marital status, education levels, the social system of extended families and the government attitude towards the informal sector to be the major factors influencing the employees’ conditions. The study recommends that policy makers should design laws that offer workers of the informal sector some measure of protection against exploitation.