Gender Imbalances in the Access to University Education: A Case of Zimbabwe

There has been noticeable effort to challenge gender disparities in Zimbabwe and the world over, through enactment of legislative and policy frameworks. In concert with this effort, this chapter takes the form of an analytical exposition of the challenges and opportunities of female students' access to higher university education. Through the lens of African feminist perspectives, literature on higher education informs this chapter. A thematic analysis was conducted to theme the data. The findings speak to unequal access stemming from patriarchal culture, broad socio-economic contextual features and absence of governmental support. A number of recommendations were suggested for theory, practice and future and further research. These include the need for African governments to reprioritise equal access to education, establishing sustainable higher education funding, eliminating gender inequalities in society, promoting international partnerships among institutions, strengthening institutional support structures, developing programmes eliminating dropouts and reducing poverty that compels girls into marriage than career development. The issue of equal access warrants further research within the field of higher education. Understanding the support structure as well as experiences of female students is needed to fully address the gender imbalances in higher education.