Presenter 1:  Dr Hannah Olubunmi Ajayi, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
Title:  Breaking the Barrier of Stereotype and Biases
Abstract:
Article 4 of the 1998 World Conference on Higher Education Report held in Paris refers to the importance of  “enhancing participation and promotion of women..., in particular their active involvement in decision-making”. In pursuance of this, UNESCO also declared that "gender equality should be a key item on the agenda from 2008 to 2013”. This emphasis reflects the recognition of the role women play as catalysts for national development and sustainability. In developing countries such as Nigeria, women can be rated as second citizens and often miss out on   opportunities to display their potential in places of power, particularly in the academic field.   This presented a need for in-depth analysis to address the barriers, stereotypes and biases faced by Nigerian women in higher education institutions. With the objectives of the study realised and established, the research design was structured in a way that would allow for thorough evaluation of the role of women in Nigerian higher institutions and the factors influencing their active participation. The study aimed to answer three research questions, and adopted quantitative methodology by using surveys to collect information from forty-one higher education institutions from seven states of the federation.  The institutions were selected through randomisation by convenience and six hundred and fifteen respondents formed the sample. There were two instruments used in the data collection process, the first being a ‘Quick Survey of Women in Leadership and Management Position of Tertiary Institution Checklist’ (QSWLMPTIC), which assessed the number of women working as principal officers at the institutions for a particular period of time, and the second an ‘Indices for Women in Higher Institutions’ Leadership Questionnaire’ (IWHILQ), which examined the factors influencing the participation of women. The results of the study showed that there is still a wide gap in women’s participation in leadership and management roles; and that factors such as gender self-actualisation and cultural mentality contribute to the lack of participation of women in prominent job roles in academia.  Recommendations were proffered to the women, the government, curriculum planners and society at large.

Presenter 2:  Dr. Maryam Rab, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Pakistan
Title:  Women as role models in higher education: A way forward
Abstract: 
This paper was developed from research I conducted for my Doctoral degree.  The research explored the area of women’s careers though in-depth interviews of women professors in leadership positions in the universities of Pakistan.    Several themes emerged from the data, highlighting both negative and positive factors which influenced their lives.  The broader objective of the research was to bring forth the features that were supportive in the lives of these professional women and to highlight the strategies that led to their placement in senior positions in the university. The questions were focused around their individual experiences, family, education, work, progress, opportunities and challenges.

In this paper I share the almost non-existent recognition of women role models in senior leadership positions in the Pakistani context.   In South Asia there is rare research in the area of women as role models in higher education.  Similarly, there are other researches which   identify and recognise the lack of women role models in senior positions in academia globally (Luke, 2001; Lam, 2006).  The women who were interviewed were all in leadership positions in Pakistani Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and I wanted to see their perceptions of the concept of role models;   if they saw themselves as role models;  and if role models had played any significant role in their lives. The focus was also to develop some positive role models for young women aspiring to pursue careers in higher education, keeping in view the small number of women in such leadership positions.   It emerged from the thematic analysis that, amongst other factors, having role models in their lives was a positive feature for these women in their professional journey. 

It is anticipated that this paper will contribute to the debate about the significance of role models in higher education and  fill the gaps in existing knowledge in the region and globally.

Presenter 3:  Professor Lucienne Tessens, University of Western Australia
Title:  Senior university women’s perceived development needs
Abstract:
Women’s participation in senior leadership positions in Australian universities is still low, despite the implementation of equal opportunity legislation, affirmative action initiatives and in-house women-only leadership development programmes.  This under-representation of senior women combined with the gender pay gap in universities, suggests on-going systemic and cultural barriers to women’s progress within the higher education sector.

To assist with determining the development needs and support that senior academic (level D and E) and professional staff (level 10 and above) women consider they require for advancing their careers, a survey was conducted of 134 senior women at two Australian universities, a research-intensive university and a newer dual sector one.

This paper analyses the results of the survey that included questions about preferred leadership programmes, the preferred content, activities and format. The participants were also questioned about the challenges in their current role, the personal and institutional support mechanisms they require, influences on their career as well as their views on the gendered workplace culture.

This paper provides details about the challenges perceived by senior university women and the kind of leadership programmes they would prefer. The perceived differences in opportunities and support for senior women and men as well as the impact of the culture of the work area on the women’s advancement and effectiveness are discussed.

Presenters 4:  Maria Mathew and Alif Nazrin, St Teresa’s College, Mahatma Gandhi University,    India
Title:  Glass Ceiling- A challenge to women’s participation in decision making bodies in universities
Abstract:
Kerala, one of the smallest states in the Indian peninsula, stands unique among other Indian states, with a consistently higher level of human development indicators such as literacy rate, infant mortality rate, life expectancy and gender development index. The Human Development Report published by Kerala state planning board indicates that the overall sex ratio, enrolment of students in higher education, and longevity have been favourable to females thus depicting a  high status for Kerala women.  Kerala Economic Review 2010 (KER), published by the Government of Kerala, reports that more than two thirds of the total number of students enrolled for higher education and almost three quarters of the students admitted in  postgraduate programmes in science in the state are females.  However the high rate of literacy and impressive levels of females in higher education have not  translated into the Kerala’s work participation scenarios as only one third of highly educated women are members of the working class. According to KER 2010, almost three quarters of the school teachers in Kerala are women, whereas they only make up one third of the faculty members in universities. Cochin University of Science and Technology, the only science and technology university in the state, can claim that no more than one third of its teaching staff and one tenth of those in higher academic or administrative decision-making bodies are women.  Hence, a sample survey has been carried out amongst the faculty members of this university to investigate the reasons for the low rate of women’s participation in teaching and the prevalence of the glass ceiling between women and the higher academic and administrative bodies of the university. The majority of the faculty members were of the opinion that social networking and organisational back-up play a dominant role in whether or not one is nominated for academic and administrative decision-making positions. The women faculty members felt strongly that social and family constraints and caring responsibilities held them back from taking up responsibilities in addition to their teaching;  and that the political involvement of male faculty members also made it difficult to knock down the barrier of the glass ceiling.

Session B:  Economic Development

Presenter 1:  Dr Faith Ekong, University of Uyo, Nigeria
Title:  Women and the development process:  A study of rural women’s organisations in community development
Abstract:
For many decades now there have been intense developmental efforts devoted to the empowerment of women, especially in the rural areas, where more than 70% of Nigerians live. In fact, specialised agencies have been established for this purpose.  However, impact analysis of these programmes shows that the target groups have not always been reached; and this has led to various initiatives being developed by women themselves to improve their conditions. This paper discusses the role of women and the extent of their involvement in governance and the development process. It examines the problems and prospects of women in the governance and development of rural areas in Nigeria where they are using community development organisations as a vehicle and organisational medium. This paper is based on a case study of the Cross River state, which has ten major towns and twenty-five hamlets.  These were divided into twelve districts and two hundred questionnaires were distributed in each district. A survey of rural women’s organisations in the twelve districts revealed that a total of three hundred of them existed;  and one hundred of these were closely studied. The result showed a genuine desire by women to be actively involved in governance and development to improve their socio-economic status.  However, there still exists a combination of factors hindering their efforts to break through the thick cycle of poverty.  Various developmental actions were therefore suggested.

Presenter 2:  Nazima Ellahi, Foundation University Islamabad, Pakistan 
Title:  Empowering women in Pakistan: a way towards achieving one of the Millennium Development Goals
Abstract:
Poverty and unemployment are the major hazards faced by under-developed and developing countries. To achieve the Millennium Development Goal of women’s empowerment, Less Developed Countries (LDCs) are striving to strengthen their human resources through raising the participation of women in the work force.  Women’s empowerment is a process where women raise their self-reliance, organise themselves, become independent in making choices and use their rights to eliminate the element of subordination.  Pakistan being a developing country has outlined women’s development as a national agenda for improving the status of women and eradicating the problems of unemployment and poverty.   Women’s empowerment can be measured by the ability of women to make decisions, hence the present research study which seeks to measure women’s empowerment in Pakistan. A sample of 200 women was selected from the province of Punjab in Pakistan and data was collected through questionnaire surveys.  Quantitative as well as qualitative techniques of estimation were carried out using SPSS and Eviews software, and the findings suggested that women in Punjab province are better at household and economic decision-making than social empowerment.  The survey also showed that the majority of women in Punjab region are aware of their rights and duties.  Some critical recommendations were made at the end of the study to enhance women’s empowerment.

Presenter 3:  Sanjaya Pradeep, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
Title:  The Role of Informal Women Entrepreneurs in Livelihood Development and Regional Development
Abstract:
The construction of entrepreneurship is often described from a masculine perspective (Thornton 2005).  Entrepreneurial activities such as capital investment, business management, risk-taking, seeking opportunities, earning profit and expansion of the firm are seen as the economic role of males (OECD 2004).  However, on the one hand women play a significant and growing role as entrepreneurs in the context of SME; and on the other hand governments and non-profits around the world are actively promoting women entrepreneurship through a variety of programmes and policies.   Within this context, this study focuses on an examination of the role of informal women entrepreneurs in regional development.  The objectives of the study are to identify the significance of the role of informal women entrepreneurs in the livelihood development of the family, to understand the socio-economic potentialities of informal women entrepreneurs and to determine what are the gender barriers to the development of women entrepreneurs.   The study was carried out in Sella Kataragama in 2010.  In the data collection process, structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect primary data;  and the study sample consisted of 60 entrepreneurs.

Study samples reveal that women are engaging in a more diverse range of businesses as informal entrepreneurs than men.  Moreover, they are performing their entrepreneurial roles alongside their domestic roles and generating either additional income to the family or the entire family income.  The research findings indicate that several factors influence women's involvement in entrepreneurship:  it is easy to manage the domestic and business roles; it helps to achieve social recognition;  it provides an escape from dependency;  offers satisfaction even with minimal profits;  and develops self-knowledge and skills.  Major barriers discouraging women entrepreneurs are identified as traditional, stereotyped gender roles at home and the perception of lack of social security.

The study reveals that informal women entrepreneurs perform a significant role in the livelihood development of the family.  Hence, the socio-economic potentialities of informal women entrepreneurs need to be taken into account in policy making in regional development.

Wednesday 7 March 2012
14.00 – 15.30 hours:  Parallel discussion sessions led by presentations on topics related to Gender Mainstreaming and Health

Session A:  Gender Mainstreaming

Presenter 1:  Professor Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir, University of Iceland
Title:  Gender: The lost dimension in teacher education
Abstract:
In Iceland, education about gender equality has been required by law, at all school levels, for decades.  In the National Curricula for the compulsory levels, equality education is listed as one of the compulsory subjects.   Despite these legal requirements, education about gender equality is not a compulsory subject in teacher  education programmes in Iceland.   However, individual as well as interdisciplinary courses on gender and education have been offered by women from various disciplines at the School of Education, University of Iceland.   Moreover, two studies aimed at mapping the place of gender and equality in the teacher education programme have recently been conducted.   In this presentation, the author shares her experience of trying to promote the gender dimension in academia by developing courses on gender equality, as a member of an equality committee and as a researcher.   Preliminary findings from an on-going study about education on gender equality in the School of Education will be presented.   Data was gathered through interviews with key persons, a questionnaire which was sent to all teachers at the School of Education and interviews with focus groups representing different disciplines.   Findings will be compared to those of a similar study in 2006 and to the outcomes of a development programme involving an interdisciplinary course on gender and education.   The common thread in the view of students and teachers alike is that, while education about gender equality needs to be a compulsory, rather than an optional, element of teach education, more information is needed on what is already being done, by whom and how.   It is therefore a pressing question why, despite a supportive legal environment and various initiatives, little progress towards promoting the gender dimension in the teacher education programme has been made.

Presenter 2:   Professor Jane Onsongo, Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Kenya
Topic:  Promoting gender equity in selected public universities in Kenya:  an                         examination  of sustainable interventions    
Abstract: 
The purpose of this study was to examine sustainable gender equity interventions in selected public universities in Kenya.   The sample consisted of four public universities that were purposively selected because they had established gender centres/institutes that were assumed to be co-ordinating gender equity interventions.   The study respondents were university managers (registrars, personnel officers, deans of faculty/schools, heads of academic departments and directors of gender centres, senior academic staff and undergraduate students), from various faculties/schools in the universities.   Data for the study was collected during the months of March to August 2007.  The instruments used for data collection were questionnaires for students and academic staff, semi-structured interview guides for university managers and directors/co-ordinators of gender centres, meeting observation guides and a document analysis guide.  The study focused on interventions related to access to university education by women, curriculum transformation (inclusion), university environment (climate) and staff promotion and development.  This study was guided by the feminist critical policy analysis perspective following Bensimon and Marshall (1997).  Data was analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods.

The findings from this study reveal that there are a number of impediments to the implementation of sustainable gender equity interventions including inadequate funding for the activities geared towards enhancing gender equity, inadequate qualified academic staff to teach and manage gender related courses and centres, lack of gender awareness among students, staff and university managers, negative attitudes towards gender issues and lack of clear gender policy guidelines.  A number of recommendations are made for the improvement of policy and practice at the level of government, universities, and society and donor agencies.

Presenter 3:  Professor Lucienne Tessens, The University of Western Australia
Topic:  The Leadership Development for Women programme:  Change for women and culture
Abstract:
Women-only staff development programmes have been conducted at Australian universities for many years with the aim of addressing gender inequity.  Despite the wide plethora of programmes available, few have an explicitly stated philosophical approach with a dual agenda.   A dual agenda programme engages the organisation and the women in an organisational change process.  This is achieved by going beyond the “fix the women” approach to leadership development and by promoting an organisational change strategy.

The University of Western Australia, a comprehensive research intensive university, has implemented numerous strategies since 1994 to address gender inequities and advance women’s careers.  These include the internationally acclaimed Leadership Development for Women (LDW) programme, now in its eighteenth year.  LDW has a philosophical approach with a dual agenda.  It is a cohort programme with a compulsory launch and three day core programme followed by a leadership development workshop, peer learning groups, career information sessions, a formal mentor scheme, information sessions and networking opportunities.  LDW has a focus on understanding gender, the gendered organisation and gendered leadership.  It is open to thirty-two academic and non-academic women staff.  Its vision is to contribute to a university culture that actively promotes and supports women’s involvement in leadership and decision-making at all levels.

This paper will provide details on aspects of the LDW programme, including its structure, components, philosophical approach and the programme’s potential as a culture change process.

Presenter 4:  Ms Hemamalie Gunatilake, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
Topic:  An analysis of the impact of gender roles on female managerial level employees:  A  case study of the Sri Lankan garment industry
Abstract:
Sri Lanka is no exception in relation to the impact of globalisation on peripheral countries.  The society itself has had to get adjusted to changes required by globalisation such as seeing its women go as unskilled labourers to foreign countries, to newly established garment factories, call centres etc.   The need for females to work was all the more prominent in the context of thirty years of civil war, during which the predominantly male armed forces were engaged in the battle fields.   Nevertheless, the education system in Sri Lanka was such that more females entered tertiary level education and became qualified to gain employment at managerial levels.  Since the end of the three decade long civil was in 2009, Sri Lanka has been entering into a new development era.  Hence the present economic trends in Sri Lanka will demand more female employees for emerging opportunities.

The Sri Lankan garment sector consists of a large proportion of females, representing different levels of the organisational hierarchy.  The entry of females into industry calls for new conditions of employment and addressing issues relating to diversity.

Within this backdrop, this paper is written with the main objective of analysing the impact of ‘gender roles’ on managerial level female employees in the Sri Lankan garment industry.  Gender roles are the foundations of ascribed roles for either gender, and these affect the lives of men and women around the globe in varying degrees.  Grounded theory approach is the main research method.  The study covers two Sri Lankan large-scale private sector garment organisations.  Using theoretical sampling, in-depth interview will be held with female and male managers.   Findings will enable a better understanding of the gender role attitudes held by female and male managers and the impact of such attitudes on the personal and work lives of female managers.

Session B:  Health, with special reference to HIV/AIDS

Presenter 1:  Professor Nyokabi Kamau, St Paul’s University, Kenya
Topic:  Silence, Invisibility and Absence:  Experiences and effects of HIV/AIDS on senior 
women staff in Kenyan universities
Abstract:
HIV and AIDS continue to be viewed as the biggest practical and moral challenge facing the world today.  This study sought to investigate the situation in two Kenyan universities where it seemed that HIV and AIDS and gender issues, especially as they affect senior women staff, were unrecognised, not spoken about and were absent from policy and practice.   The study utilises a feminist perspective and qualitative methods of data collection.  Conversational and focused interviews, the AIDS policy of one university, and field notes were applied for data collection.   A total of twenty senior women academics and senior administrators, four men and one women representing senior management of the two universities were interviewed.

Using women’s experiences with HIV and AIDS as a reflexive device, this thesis provides yet another example of how embedded male structures in academia hinder gender equality.  Using feminist concepts of structuralism, silence, discourse, personal is political, care, silence and reflexivity, the women’s experiences as professionals, also affected by HIV and AIDS, are analysed.  From this analysis, the impediments to women’s career progression in academia are identified.  These impediments include:  outmoded gender stereotypes, inequalities, limited access to doctoral studies, lack of women-friendly policies and few research opportunities on women’s issues and by women.   The findings also illuminate the multiple silences that face women in the two universities.

The findings further suggest that the separation of the public and the private lives make it more difficult for women to balance their personal and professional roles, especially in this era of HIV and AIDS.   Silences and stigma surrounding sexuality issues are seen to play a major role in the persisting discrimination of those infected and/or affected by HIV and AIDS in the two universities.

The analysis of women’s experiences and the universities’ responses to HIV and AIDS shows that university policies need to be accompanied by programmes and practices that make explicit and challenge behaviours that reproduce and reinforce male hegemony in academia.

Presenter 2:  Dr Tolulope Monisola Ola, Ekiti State University, Nigeria
Topic:  Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Prevention Programme implemented by students and staff in tertiary institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria
Abstract:
In many countries with high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates, large numbers of students, lecturers, administrators and other educational employees are becoming infected.   As this is having a   substantial impact on the supply and quality of education, providing access to HIV/AIDs prevention information and care has become an important way of safeguarding Nigeria’s investment in higher education. 

Since 2011, a Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Prevention Programme (CHAPP) funded by USAID is being implemented, which includes prevention activities, HIV/AIDs counselling and testing (HCT), antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and psychosocial support for students, lecturers and other educational employees in three tertiary institutions in Ekiti State Nigeria.  The unique feature of this programme is that it recognises that tertiary institutions as not always representing a safe environment, particularly for women and girls;  and ensures that the female students and staff are actively participating in all aspects of the programme.   A baseline survey relating to prevention and understanding of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS and mobilization of stakeholders was carried out in order to enhance planning, implementation, institutional ownership, monitoring and evaluation. 

The participation of staff and students is crucial in achieving the stated objectives of CHAPP as demonstrated during the Peer Education Training, which saw a high turnout of staff during the mobilisation of stakeholders.   It has also become clear how important are the commitment of institutional leadership, tertiary institutions’ HIV/AIDS policies, and developing a gender perspective that recognises the greater vulnerability of women, as  each of these elements has a crucial role to play in addressing a  wide range of political, social, economic, legal and management implications of HIV/AIDs in higher education.

Presenter 3:  Elizabeth Mills, University of Sussex, UK 
Title:   Voice, Vulnerability and Visibility:  Reflections on academic accountability, power and participatory photography with HIV-positive women in South Africa
Abstract:
In order to break a history of extractive politics, particularly evident in the developmental history of countries in Africa and South America,   it is important to conduct ethically grounded research that not only works to understand how HIV positive women are actors (rather than victims) in shaping their lives in the most oppressive context, but also to generate research that is borne from relationships that are, as far as possible, reciprocal.  The research aims to show the interconnection of global dynamics and national policies with local realities and women’s lives and bodies.  The research includes micro and meso level ethnographic research in South Africa and macro level policy research in both Brazil and South Africa.

The research methodologies include film and photography, body mapping and journey mapping.  These methods transferred the responsibility for articulating key issues and perspectives in to the hands of the women I worked with.  In particular, my ethnography generated substantial visual anthropological data on ‘seeing’ and ‘speaking to’ the state, highlighting HIV positive women’s perceptions of the roles, successes and failures of democratic states.

Thursday 8 March 2012
11.30 - 13.00 hours:   Parallel Discussion Sessions ked by presentations on topics related to Research and Community Engagement

A:  Research

Presenter 1:  Kanchana Sujananie Bulumulle-Illankoon, the Open University of Sri Lanka / University of Adelaide
Title:   Gendered micro politics: Experiences of Sri Lankan and Australian academics
Abstract:
There have been great efforts in gender and feminist research to understand the non-tangible, subtle forms of gender politics within the academy that constructs advantage/disadvantage relationality among academics. This constitutes a significant aspect of work relations between academic males and females as revealed in a large volume of literature (Wilson et al., 2010, Obrien, 2011). What becomes clear in these reports is the active, overt as well as the informal, covert intangible and subtle forms of resistance and discrimination on the part of the male academics against females that heavily impact on the disadvantaged position of the females.  On the other hand it is an area where very strong, clear and evident privileging of the male occurs in the academy.

Within the present research there is an attempt to interrogate how micro politics are manifest within the academy in Sri Lanka and Australia in a gendered sense with special focus on male resistance. The research is conducted using 37 in-depth academic life-histories of male and female academics in research universities in Australia and Sri Lanka that are analysed using Foucauldian discourse analysis. The findings reveal that male resistance and micro politics are to be found in many areas of the academy   including, for instance, gendered remarks made towards female academics that devalue their academic excellence, the tendency to undermine publically outspoken women, framing more proactive and qualified academic women with masculinised administrative activism to control their mobility, male bias in appointment and selection and some normative and cultural practices used to resist women’s advancement intentionally or unintentionally.  The study also notes that  micro politics within the academy is not limited to gender but it is also manifest in   ethnicity and class as well as academic disciplines.

Presenter 2:  Professor Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir, University of Iceland
Title:   A Gender Sensitive Leadership Research.   What Does it Take?   Where Does it Lead?
Abstract:
This paper shows the researcher´s struggle when a research design evolves from being a study on leadership and values with gender as an additional lens, to gender becoming a more integrated component of the study.  For this purpose the researcher attempted to place the concept of gender at the centre of the study and look at the data from a feminist perspective. This involved exploring the manner in which educational leaders constructed their leadership identity in an environment where discourses on education and leadership are not only gendered but also gender biased.  The leaders' narratives raise questions about the gendered experiences children and young people have, the cultural ideas and messages they receive and the impact these may have on the adoption of values as well as the formation of gender identity and leadership identity.

Educational institutions (in this case, schools) can be seen as composed of several layers, or arenas. Within every arena are dominant gendered discourses on education and on leadership and they reflect the values of stakeholders who occupy the arenas, teachers, students, parents and administrators. From these arenas principals receive ideas about what to do and how to behave. These ideas often reflect stereotypical views and expectations about appropriate ways to be feminine and masculine and they are associated with beliefs about the kind of work men and women are most suited to do. This paper explores the interplay between leadership, values and gender. To this end 10 principals, 5 women and 5 men, as well as 10 middle managers, were interviewed. The paper draws on a qualitative study from a larger research about the values and dilemmas of leaders in Icelandic schools.

Presenters 3:  Professor K.A.L.A.Kuruppuarachchi & Dr Aruni Hapangama, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
Title:   The burden and impact of caring for the mentally ill on female caregivers
Abstract:
Mental illnesses not only impose a considerable burden on patients who suffer from them but also have been reported to have a strong impact on the quality of life, and on the physical and psychological health of their caregivers.  The research suggests that caregivers of these patients are likely to be women in most instances  -  perhaps a daughter, wife or sister of the person being cared for.  

The objectives of our study were to determine the percentage of female caregivers and the psychosocial impact of the mental illness on them.  A descriptive cross sectional study using an interviewer administered questionnaire was carried out among caregivers of patients at Psychiatry units of the North Colombo Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka.   The results revealed that, of the 312 caregivers who consented for the study, 64 per cent were females and 38 per cent were between the ages of 40-49 years.  Forty-three per cent were the spouse and 22 per cent were the mother of the patient respectively.  Of the 63 per cent female caregivers who were employed, 58 per cent had to take at least one day of leave from work during the previous month due to the patient’s illness.   Forty-three per cent believed the illness had a negative impact on their jobs while 46 per cent reported economic difficulties due to the patient’s illness.  Fifty-nine per cent reported disrupted social relationships while 39 per cent admitted to family disharmony due to the illness.  Fifty-five per cent felt they did not have any enjoyment in life while 41 per cent reported lowered mood.  65 per cent admitted to worries about the patient’s future.  Forty-nine per cent  reported being stigmatized due to their relatives’ illness.  However, 64 per cent reported their relative’s illness had positively changed the way they look at persons with mental illnesses.

In conlusion:  the majority of the caregivers were females.  A significant proportion admitted to facing multiple psychosocial difficulties due to their relative’s mental illness.  Despite this a majority of the female caregivers reported positive attitudinal change towards those with mental illnesses.

B.  Community Engagement

Presenter 1:  Prof. Dr Najma Najam, Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Pakistan
Title:   Mountain communities, mountain university women linking for futures
Abstract:
Kararkoram International University (KIU) is unique in its setting and placement in that Gilgit Baltistan is landlocked.  However, it has for centuries been part of the famous Silk Route for traders as well as attracting mountaineers who come to climb the highest mountain ranges in the world. This region has multiple cultures and multiple languages. The harsh realities of the climate have necessitated a sociocultural system of strong community living and working networks.   As the only  higher education institution in the region, KIU has emerged with a model of teaching and learning in which interaction with the community plays an important role.   Women are  not only an  important and integral part of the KIU system as faculty staff and students, but they also come from their communities to work in the evening for degrees (in, for instance, education, management or languages) and for skills training (in gemstone cutting, fruit preservation, agricultural pest management etc).  This is a win-win situation, as most young women go back to work in their communities and even their family’s agricultural holdings.

There is much for KIU to share with other mountain communities and universities so that the KIU model can be further developed and used in those communities.

Presenter 2:  Professor Frances Owusu-Daaku, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
Title:   KNUST’s Community Impact Programme (CIP):   Where is the Gender  Perspective?
Abstract:
KNUST is a male dominated institution, both in its structures and student intake. The KNUST Community Impact Programme (CIP) committee was set up early in 2011 by the Vice-Chancellor (in consultation with the Chair of the committee) to discuss and initiate programmes that could enable the University to make an impact on the communities it serves. No gender issues were mentioned. The first priority of the Committee was to document the activities that the various student organisations had been embarking on during their annual weeks (which invariably included clean up campaigns) and also to advocate that the University demonstrate its ability to implement a clean-up campaign on its own campus.

The Vice-Chancellor appointed a female Chair who also suggested two other female committee members;  thus the Committee has equal gender representation.    A preliminary analysis of reports so far received of the various student activities has revealed that, even though a gender perspective was not actively pursued, the majority of these activities involved interacting with rural folk and urban poor, most of whom were women, children and adolescent, in a rather uncoordinated manner, resulting in duplication of unsustainable efforts.   The majority of the executive members of these student organisations have also been males. Students in the College of Health Sciences, however, have targeted some female secondary schools since it is generally accepted that women and children are largely the givers and recipients of health care in the home.

What has become clear is that a gender perspective has not been actively pursued by the vast majority of student groups in the University and any semblance of it has largely happened by chance.  The University needs to demonstrate to women that it values their input by gender mainstreaming all its programmes, especially its committees; and it needs to encourage the coordination of sustainable student activities.