Mrs Elizabeth Ardayfio-Schandorf, a professor of Geography and Environment at the University of Ghana has suggested the need to get more female lecturers into higher level of professorial ranks.
She said although there were many women lecturers in various universities in Ghana, only a handful of them had risen to the rank of a professor.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion in Accra on Wednesday, Prof Ardayfio-Schandorf, noted that out of the 1,289 teaching staff in the 2018 and 2019 academic year at the University of Ghana only 70 of them were full professors.
Touching on the theme, ‘Strengthening cooperation among gender centres in higher institutions in Ghana,’ Prof Ardayfio-Schandorf stated that achieving higher academic knowledge would enable women to strive for gender equality and positively contribute to national development.
She stated that ensuring equity in tertiary institutions should not engender enmity and discrimination between men and women but considered a healthy competition for the betterment of society.
“It has economic benefit with some studies showing a positive relation between highly educated women in leadership and business performance,” she noted.
Professor Ardayfio-Schandorf urged directors of the various gender centres to work together as a team to conduct research on gender related issues in their respective institutions and other developmental concerns in the country.
“A glance through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could give you some ideas on a wide range of issues like gender equality, quality education, rights and partnership that you could research into,” she indicated.
Prof Samuel Agyei-Mensah, a professor at the Department of Geography and Resource Development advised participants to form research teams to enable them to address gender related issues.
He urged the various tertiary institutions to recruit more qualified women professionals into various faculties.
Prof Charlotte Wrigley-Asante, Director of Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA) said the conference provided the opportunity to review progress made in gender mainstreaming and to address the challenges.
The event brought together directors and members of various gender centres from private and public institutions in the country.
BY ABEDUWAA LUCY APPIAH AND DOROTHY BROCKE
