Take up leadership roles, female teachers urged

Bianca Leboho Herald Reporter
Only one percent of female teachers under one of the country’s largest trade unions, Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), occupy top leadership positions, an official has said.

Statistics show that 55 percent of teachers in the country are female, while 53 percent of ZIMTA’s membership are female.

ZIMTA has a membership of 43 000 teachers nationwide.

Addressing a delegation of women under ZIMTA’s membership, the organisation’s chief executive officer, Mr Sifiso Ndlovu, said low participation of women in leadership roles at ZIMTA was reflective of the overall absence of women in key leadership roles in the teaching fraternity.

“Women have not been able to participate in leadership roles because of insufficient education and training mechanisms.

“In line with the country’s Constitution, we have decided to train women and expose them to critical mechanisms of leadership,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He said it was important for all organisations and the Government to change the structural aspect of how leadership roles work to remove the hostile environment that come with leadership positions.

He said these barriers hindered women’s access to leadership roles.