Global Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Mainstreaming Gender at Polytechnics in Ghana: Opportunity for Development

Regina Okyere-Dankwa, Otibo Ferdinand Owusu and Smile Gavua Dzisi

Gender Mainstreaming is imperative in contemporary development planning. It is globally accepted strategy forpromoting gender equality especially in institutions of higher education. Polytechnics are crucial centres for change and gender mainstreaming their curriculum, enrolments, and general operation is also crucial as it will enable them to fulfill thismandate. Enhancing quality education by women and men, and removing gender stereotyping in the curriculum, careerchoices and the professions is the panacea for sustainable development. In this respect, obstacles to women’sparticipation in higher education need to be minimized or eradicated completely. Therefore, recruitment, enrolments,promotions and organizational structures need to be gender mainstreamed. This research involved extensive documentaryreviews. Interviews with key selected stakeholders, representative of students, academic and administrative staff and topdecisionmakers and implementers were also contacted. The paper suggests that the application of a gender mainstreamingstrategy is possible, though complex. The case study institution analyzed shows some progress but there are still manychallenges relating to structural issues, sustainability, policy formulation, the commitment of actors involved, and the wholeaspect of attitudinal change both at individual level and collectively for the polytechnic .