Browsing by Author "Moktar, Shamsa Absikarim"

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    Correlates of Women’s Participation in Higher Educational Leadership in Mogadishu, Somalia
    (Kenyatta University, 2025-06) Moktar, Shamsa Absikarim
    The involvement of women in leadership roles, particularly in higher education, remains a global concern. Progress reports on the achievement of the sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 5, highlight insufficient progress toward gender equality by 2030, with women still underrepresented in decision-making positions. This study examined the factors influencing women's participation in higher educational leadership within Mogadishu, Somalia. Anchored on social feminist theory, the study employed a correlational research design to explore the following research objectives: to assess the relationship between social-cultural factors and women's involvement in higher educational leadership, to determine the relationship between mentorship and women's involvement in higher educational leadership, to examine the relationship between networking and women's involvement in higher educational leadership, to establish the relational role between institutional practices and women's involvement in higher educational leadership in universities within Mogadishu. The target population included 146 deans, HoDs, directors, and faculty members. A census approach was used to sample all the participants. Although the final number of participants was 97 due to security challenges, this sample was still considered sufficient for drawing meaningful conclusions within the scope of the accessible universities.Data collection involved questionnaires for faculty members and interviews with deans. Piloting of the research instruments was conducted in 2 Universities within Mogadishu. The participants that took part in the pilot exercise were excluded from the final study. Content validity was established through expert judgment by the supervisors. The internal reliability of the instruments was established through test retest methods after which the Cronbach Alpha was computed. Cronbach's alpha values ranged from 0.766 to 0.879, confirming reliability. Pearson correlational analysis were used. Findings indicate that sociocultural factors (r = -0.631, p < 0.05) and institutional practices (r = -0.670, p < 0.05) negatively impact women’s participation. Meanwhile, mentorship (r = 0.643, p < 0.05) and networking (r = 0.669, p < 0.05) significantly enhance it. Thematic analysis highlights gender based discrimination, male dominance, and lack of female role models as barriers. Some respondents believe men outperform women due to experience, while others argue leadership depends on skill, not gender. Though some universities have equal opportunity policies, male-dominated hiring committees and societal norms hinder women's career advancement. The study concludes that sociocultural barriers and institutional practices significantly hinder women’s participation, while mentorship and networking opportunities enhance it. It recommends that university management discourage gender stereotyping, implement mentorship programs, promote women’s leadership through training, and address institutional biases. Future research should explore women’s leadership in other sectors beyond higher education.