Socio-cultural dynamics and education for development in Zimbabwe: Navigating the discourse of exclusion and marginalisation

Abstract

Africa enjoys large numbers of institutions of higher learning and it has seen many women sailing through these institutions. This paper argues that, in spite of the negatives that characterise the educational system in   Africa and the marginalisation of most women, there exist avenues that can be exploited to promote and   strengthen the relevance of higher education for development. Women have either been ‘excluded’ from   education or ‘bound’ by socio-cultural factors deterring their potential to contribute to the development of the  continent. This study locates education in Africa (Zimbabwe) within the global context but at the same time  paying attention to local dynamics. It looks at the contribution made by women in mainstream national   development. The researchers perused through government bulletins and UNESCO reports on human capital  development. Using a womanist framework, the paper argues that in order to realise sustainable   development, attention should be paid to socio-religious ethics that ‘disempower’ women but are often ignored by scholars, politicians and other stakeholders.

KEY TERMS: women, culture, exclusion, education