Woman Participation in Leadership Positions in Mtubatuba Local Munucipality
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Date
2021
Authors
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
The study aimed to explore the nature, level and extent of women's participation in
administrative and political leadership in the Mtubatuba Local Municipality. It adopted
the socialist feminism theory as its framework. The study used qualitative research
methods in which data were collected using semi-structured interviews from eight
women working in the Mtubatuba Local Municipality's political and administrative
structures selected using purposive sampling methods. Thematic analysis was
employed to analyse data received from participants. The study found that women's
leadership in both the administrative and political realms of the MLM was a struggle
that demanded endurance against various harsh forces mainly stemming from culture
and patriarchy. The study concluded that the excessive prevalence of gender
inequality and male dominance in leadership was worsened by the fact that the few
women in management and leadership were not seriously considered in decision making. This was regardless of the existence of many national and local level policies
and strategies aimed at elevating women into leadership with the agenda of attaining
gender equality. Political organisations in the Municipality failed to mobilise support for
the policies that promote of advancement of women. The study recommended
strategies to eradicate violence against women in politics and political violence in
general, fighting patriarchy and addressing cultural rigidities holding women leaders
down and gender equality policy monitoring and evaluation as a way of resolving the
identified challenges.
Keywords: Gender equality, political leadership, administrative leadership,
Mtubatuba Local Municipality
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law in fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Public Administration in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021.
Keywords
Women in politics, Mtubatuba Local Municipality, Gender equality, Political leadership