Gender asymmetry and parity struggle in Higher Education in Africa

Abstract

Knowledge and power dynamics in Higher Education (HE) have been for long contested fields. The feminist movements in their varied  forms believe that they are still short-changed by the disguise, myth and ideology that access to HE equates to social justice and equity,  yet there is marginalised conflict in HE in areas such as access to knowledge, research output, power dynamics, and promotion. This  conceptual paper employs the critical feminist lenses to probe gender asymmetry and conflict in HE and attest that there are still more  disparities that need to be addressed to ensure gender parity with reduced conflict. The study interrogates the concept of access across  the fields of knowledge in HE and endorse that the battle to epistemic justice is still in its youthful course. The study argues and  concludes that that the definition, ownership, control, distribution, and evaluation of knowledge in HE is still tilted in favour of a cartel of  men who have for long formed power and knowledge oligarchy. Through the critical feminist framework, the study quizes the extent to  which concerns such as access, research output, power dynamics, and promotion, mentoring, and networking constitute epistemic justice  in HE. The main recommendation is that women need to strengthen their networks and unite in the struggle by enforcing the  legal and policy frameworks into momentous existence. This can be achieved through strategies like holding forums on gender awareness  and equal rights, open distance learning, close monitoring and evaluation of gender polices to promote gender parity in  leadership, research and equitable distribution of resources.