By. Wilber Tumutegyereize
Kampala, Uganda: A consortium of African and European universities has intensified efforts to mainstream gender equality in higher education through the MAGNETISE project, with Makerere University taking a leading role in hosting a high-level workshop that brought together policymakers, researchers, and gender experts to reflect on institutional progress, persistent gaps, and future strategies.
The initiative, formally focused on Mainstreaming Gender in Higher Education Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa (MAGNETISE) is supported by the European Union and implemented through a multi-country partnership involving institutions in Uganda, South Africa, and Europe. The project aims to move beyond policy formulation to practical implementation, monitoring, and institutional accountability in gender equality.
At the heart of the discussions was a shared concern: while universities across the region have developed gender policies over the past decades, translating these frameworks into measurable, lived institutional change remains uneven.
A Consortium Approach to Gender Mainstreaming in Academia
Opening the workshop, project lead Professor James Akwee Acai described MAGNETISE as a collaborative effort designed to strengthen institutional capacity for gender equality planning across higher education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He explained that the consortium includes Ugandan partners such as Makerere University and Muni University, alongside South African institutions including University of KwaZulu-Natal, Rhodes University, and Nelson Mandela University.
European partners include Katholieke Hogeschool VIVES Zuid (VIVES) and KMOP Policy Centre from Belgium, as well as Research Innovation and Development Lab (ReadLab) and University of Peloponnese. The consortium also includes additional European academic collaboration through the University of Applied Sciences and related policy and research networks.
According to Acai, the core objective is not simply to produce policies, but to ensure universities develop functional gender equality plans supported by implementation tools, monitoring frameworks, and institutional accountability systems.
“We have had policies since the early 2000s, but the real question is: where is the implementation plan, and how do we track progress?” he noted. “If a policy says 40 percent representation for women in leadership, we must be able to measure whether that is being achieved.”
He emphasized that MAGNETISE would support training, capacity-building exchanges with European institutions, student engagement programmes, and the development of a digital knowledge hub for gender equality.
Makerere University’s Institutional Position on Gender Equality
Representing university leadership, Dr Suzan Mbabazi reaffirmed Makerere University’s commitment to gender equality as part of its academic, research, and community engagement mandate.
She noted that Makerere University has made “significant strides” in institutionalizing gender equality through policies such as the Gender Equality Policy, the Regulations Against Sexual Harassment, and related governance frameworks developed over more than two decades.
The university, she said, has also established institutional structures including the Institute of Gender and Development Studies and the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, which coordinate gender-related initiatives across faculties.
However, she cautioned that structural progress does not eliminate systemic challenges.
“Despite progress globally and locally, we must acknowledge persistent gaps, biases, and inequalities within higher education institutions,” she said. “This workshop provides an opportunity to design practical strategies that connect policy to implementation.”
Mbabazi urged participants to focus on three key areas: awareness creation, institutional analysis of existing gaps, and deliberate action to dismantle structural barriers to equality.
She reaffirmed management’s commitment to supporting gender mainstreaming initiatives and encouraged continued collaboration across institutions and stakeholders.
Preliminary Survey Findings Reveal Mixed Progress
Presenting initial findings from a university-wide survey, Dr Peace Musimenta reported that the study collected responses from 82 participants across different university units.
She noted that the research was still in progress but already revealed significant insights into perceptions, attitudes, and institutional practices regarding gender equality.
Musimenta highlighted that respondents generally recognized progress in gender mainstreaming, but also pointed to persistent structural and cultural challenges.
Among the key findings were perceptions that gender policies exist but are often not effectively implemented, and that gender equality efforts risk being treated as isolated projects rather than integrated institutional practices.
“There is a sense that we are moving forward, but also experiencing setbacks,” she explained. “Many respondents feel that gender mainstreaming is still not fully embedded across the institution.”
She also reported concerns that gender equality initiatives are often perceived as focused primarily on women, contributing to resistance among some staff who view gender programs as exclusionary.
One respondent, she noted, described reluctance to engage with gender assessments, arguing that such initiatives may be biased, an indication of ongoing ideological tensions within academic spaces.
Musimenta further observed that while policies and structures exist, awareness and implementation remain uneven, with some university members unaware of key institutional frameworks.
She concluded that the challenge is no longer policy absence, but ensuring visibility, ownership, and effective implementation of existing frameworks.
Gender Audit Highlights Structural Gaps and Progress
Expanding on the institutional audit, Dr Florence Ebila outlined the methodology and preliminary findings of the gender audit conducted between May and June.
She explained that the audit examined institutional policies, governance systems, practices, organizational culture, and perceptions of gender equality.
The study drew data from multiple administrative units including human resources, academic registrars, estates and works departments, and student leadership structures.
Ebila reported that Makerere University has made significant institutional progress, including the establishment of gender-focused units and integration of gender considerations into teaching, research, and governance.
However, she identified persistent disparities in representation, particularly in science-related disciplines where male staff and students remain dominant.
She also highlighted infrastructural gaps, noting that while newer buildings are increasingly accessible, several older facilities lack adequate support for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Another concern raised was limited gender-responsive budgeting, with insufficient allocation of resources to sustain gender mainstreaming activities across all units.
“The challenge is not just policy design, but operationalization at all levels of the institution,” she said.
Gender, Identity, and Institutional Culture: A Critical Reflection
A keynote reflection by Dr Josephine Ahikire introduced a deeper theoretical lens to the discussion, situating gender mainstreaming within broader questions of institutional power, identity, and cultural norms.
Ahikire emphasized that gender mainstreaming is not a technical exercise but a structural transformation process that challenges entrenched systems of privilege.
She used the example of Makerere University’s centenary monument, where a male graduate is prominently positioned in front view while a female graduate is placed at the rear, to illustrate how symbolic representations can reflect deeper institutional biases.
“What appears natural often hides embedded inequality,” she argued. “Even symbolic structures matter because they reflect how institutions imagine gender.”
Ahikire acknowledged Makerere University’s progress in policy development and institutional frameworks but cautioned that deeper cultural transformation is still required.
She emphasized the need to interrogate curriculum design, research systems, and informal institutional practices that may perpetuate inequality despite formal commitments to inclusion.
She further argued that gender discourse must retain its political dimension, noting that terms such as feminism should not be avoided but engaged critically in order to address structural inequality.
“Gender equality work is not about comfort,” she said. “It is about questioning established norms and rethinking how power is distributed.”
Institutional Achievements and Remaining Challenges
Across presentations, several common themes emerged.
Participants acknowledged that Makerere University has developed one of the most advanced gender mainstreaming frameworks in the region, including:
- A dedicated gender equality policy framework
- Sexual harassment regulations and safeguarding policies
- Institutional gender mainstreaming structures
- Student engagement programmes and gender clubs
- Scholarships supporting women in science and disadvantaged backgrounds
- Increasing integration of gender into teaching and research
However, speakers consistently highlighted persistent challenges, including:
- Limited implementation of gender policies at departmental level
- Uneven representation of women in senior academic ranks
- Infrastructure gaps affecting accessibility and inclusion
- Weak gender-responsive budgeting mechanisms
- Resistance and misunderstanding of gender equality concepts
- Fragmentation of gender work across isolated units
Towards a Comprehensive Gender Equality Plan
A key outcome of the MAGNETISE project is the development of a comprehensive institutional gender equality plan for Makerere University, supported by monitoring tools and a sustainability framework.
The plan is expected to consolidate existing policies into a coherent implementation strategy, linking institutional commitments to measurable outcomes.
It will also include a handbook for monitoring gender equality initiatives and a digital platform for knowledge sharing among students and staff.
Project leaders emphasized that sustainability will depend on institutional ownership beyond donor funding, particularly through integration into university governance systems.
A Continuing Institutional Journey
The workshop concluded with a shared recognition that gender equality in higher education remains a work in progress, requiring sustained institutional commitment, cultural transformation, and accountability mechanisms.
While Makerere University has made notable progress over the past decades, speakers agreed that the next phase of gender mainstreaming must focus on implementation, visibility, and structural change.
As the MAGNETISE project continues across partner institutions in Africa and Europe, it positions itself not only as a research initiative, but as a long-term institutional reform effort aimed at reshaping how universities understand and operationalize gender equality in higher education.
