International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 Impact Factor (2012): 3.358 Volume 3 Issue 8, August 2014 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Challenges Faced by Female Leaders at two Zimbabwean Teachers Colleges Lincoln Hlatywayo 1 , Sophie Hlatywayo 2 1 DEd Candidate, MSc, MEd, BSc, Diploma Certificate, Senior Lecturer: Disability Studies and Special Needs Education, Zimbabwe Open University 2 MEd, BEd, BSc, Diploma, Lecturer: National Strategic Studies, Morgan Zintec Teachers College Abstract: The study explored the challenges experienced by female leaders in teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe. The study field was the two teacher training colleges in Harare. The research adopted the mixed method approach whereby both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in compliment. The multiple case study design was the plan used to guide the study execution. The population included all the female leaders holding designated posts and lecturers at the two institutions. Purposive sampling was used to come up with a representative sample of 10 female leaders and 30 lecturers. The semi-structured interview and the questionnaire were the tools used to collect data respectively. The results showed that female leaders in teacher training colleges experience problems like insubordination, alleged incompetence, alleged inability to deal with workload pressure, lack of conflict management skills and stereotyping. The results also indicated that as a result of the challenges especially stereotyping female leaders end up fulfilling the prophesies such as negligence, not doing duty religiously and fixing those who disobey or undermine their authority. As a result such defense mechanisms are perceived as incompetence. Suggested recommendations include need by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to take active steps in combating stereotypes by instituting more rigorous and transparent evaluation processes, as well as educating lecturers and all people in the education sector about stereotyping. Keywords: Gender, gender equity, gender equality, leadership, attitudes, perceptions. Introduction The question of female leadership is one of the most important current issues globally. This is because historically, leadership has been concerned with the study of political leadership, of “great men” who defined power, authority, and knowledge, (Klenke, 1996). Leadership has been generally associated with men and with male styles of behavior. Since women have not been in leadership positions in great numbers, “….the mental image of a leader held by most people is male”, (Sandler, 1993:193). The presence of women in leadership position in education provides a gendered perspective on educational change and development. It is a way to ensure social justice through gender equity at leadership and decision making levels. This comes as many governments and nations worked to address the existing gender imbalances that characterized many societies. This emanated mainly from the many initiatives that have been undertaken by governments which are a way to fulfill Millennium Development Goal number 3. The goal aims to eradicate gender imbalances and work towards achieving gender equity and equality. Many strides have been undertaken by the government in trying to remove gender inequalities that existed in Zimbabwe. The cultural and traditional expectations had placed women in subordinate position in the society. The Zimbabwean society expected women to be led by men and their position to be in the home while productive work was meant for men. This was worsened by colonization which introduced policies that discriminated against the blacks, and women’s position was worsened. To show its commitment towards the achievement of gender equality and equity, the Government of Zimbabwe has ratified a number of regional and international conventions whose objectives are to promote and realize the rights of women and to achieve gender equality and equity. Conventions ratified according to UNDP (2011) include:  Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 1991  Convention on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR)  Equal Remuneration Convention (ERC)  Dakar Platform for Action  Beijing Declaration of 1995 and  SADC declaration on Gender and Development with its addendum on Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women and Children (1997) and  The Millennium Declaration of 2000. The Government of Zimbabwe drafted and launched the National Gender Policy in 2004 to direct and guide the process of gender equity and equality. The government also enacted progressive legislative laws such as the Domestic Violence Act (2007) and making amendments to family and inheritance laws. Labour laws have also been amended to reflect gender equality priorities. Examples of laws include the Legal Age of Majority Act of 1982, the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1985, the Sexual Discrimination Removal Act of 1986 and the Sexual Offences Act of 2001. These have been put in place to promote gender equality and protect women's rights. The government of Zimbabwe created the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development (MWAGCD) in 1995 to oversee coordination of all gender programmes and to facilitate gender mainstreaming in all sector ministries, (UNFPA, 2011). The National Gender Policy (2004:3) aims “to eliminate all negative economic, social and political policies, cultural and religious practices that impede equality and equity of sexes”. The National Gender Policy (2004) also provides guidelines and the institutional framework to engender all sectoral Paper ID: 02015438 1444