Affirmative Action Policies and Female Education in Gulu University: An African Philosophical Perspective

Abstract

The implementation and impact of Affirmative Action policies on female education at Gulu University remain low. Affirmative Action policies are vital in changing the community’s perspective on female education in Higher Education. Despite the implementation of the Affirmative Action policies in Gulu University, their impact remained low. This study involved 524 participants using a cross-sectional research design based on mixed methods of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Whereas Affirmative Action had a significant effect on female Education nationally, it was not the case in Gulu University. For instance, more male students are admitted and registered compared to their female counterparts. At graduation, which is the completion and exit point, fewer females graduate compared to males. Records and literature showed that the policy worked for categories of females from specific regions, districts, and schools. The study established that most females who had benefited from Affirmative Action were not from Northern Uganda’s districts and schools. For the past five years, the percentage of female students’ enrolment has ranged between 35.6% to 39.4 %. Furthermore, in the 17th Graduation of Gulu University, 34.5% females graduated compared to 65.5% males. This is an indicator that the affirmative Action policy seems not to equally benefit females in Higher Education. Whereas this is an improvement in the enrolment of female students, their completion rate remains a challenge. This does not synchronise with the African philosophy of contextualising African solutions through the ‘Africa we want’. This study informs policy-making in countries grappling with the challenges of female education in higher institutions of learning