Enhancing gender mainstreaming in students leadership roles: the case of DARUSO (Mlimani) University of Dar es Salaam

This dissertation is based on the study conducted at the Dar es Salaam University students’ organization (DARUSO) Main Campus (Mlimani) of the University of Dar es Salaam. The study intended to find out ways of instituting gender mainstreaming in the student governance by looking at their leadership roles. The central rationale was that, in the past there were many gender mainstreaming activities, but those activities seemed to neglect student politics and leadership while gender equality and equity are currently the center of the gender mainstreaming process at the university. The methodology of the study was a case study. The sample size was determined by using a probability sampling frame. Selection of respondents was done through simple random and purposive approach. Key informants were purposively selected. Interview were based on structured and non-structured questionnaires. The study involved 90 respondents (students) selected from second year to final year undergraduate students both males (56) and female (34). Focus group discussions were also held for a selected few from those who were interviewed. The findings of this study showed that, students have greater interest in student’s politics and they have high degree of participation. However, it was found out that females’ lagged behind in many forms of participation particularly where they were supposed to compete with males. On the leadership composition, females were very few compared to male in many positions. Despite the fact that they were few they seemed to have better leadership performance that males. There were many reasons that caused low participation of females. Reasons were rooted in the patriarchal socialization. Norms and value and they ranged from lack of female support and stereotypes that females cannot manage leadership, poor enforcement of electoral rules, and poor practice of democracy. The recommendations for this study are as follows: there should be many researches and dissemination of the findings through ordinary and academic seminars, public discourse review of electoral processes and constitutional amendment.