A new mini-survey conducted at Makerere University has exposed a glaring gender disparity in career progression, revealing that the number of women climbing both academic and administrative ladders is continuously diminishing compared to their male counterparts.
The one-month survey was conducted by university researchers under the Mainstreaming Gender in Higher Education Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa (Magnetise) project-a broader three-year initiative.
The preliminary findings indicate that while Makerere University successfully recruits men and women in nearly equal numbers at entry and junior levels, male employees rise through the ranks at a much faster pace, leaving women stagnating at the bottom.
The study, which tracked staff and student progression across all colleges, highlighted a worrying trend, particularly in science-based disciplines. While the number of women in senior positions within the humanities shows some growth-though still falling short of parity with men-the sciences remain heavily male-dominated.
According to the data, women are overwhelmingly concentrated in junior academic roles, such as lecturers and assistant lecturers. Conversely, their male colleagues firmly dominate top-tier positions, including senior lecturers, associate professors, and full professors, alongside key administrative roles.
Speaking at the official launch of the Magnetise project at the university on June 11, Prof James Akwee Acai, the Deputy Principal of the College of Veterinary Medicine and the project’s Principal Investigator, called for an urgent probe into the trend.
“Our preliminary results show that men seem to grow faster in their careers, whether administrative or academic,” Prof. Acai explained.
“Representation at the entry level is almost equal, but as you climb the ladder, the number of men goes up until the top, where you find over 70 percent of positions are dominated by men.”
Prof. Acai questioned whether the blockage is rooted in institutional structures or external social factors.
“The question that is still on the floor is: Is it structural, or are there other factors causing ladies to enter but stagnate at the base and fail to climb the career ladder?”
University officials and gender rights advocates have reacted to the findings, stating that gender inequality must now be treated as a matter of national urgency requiring immediate intervention.
Prof Ruth Nsibirano, the Director of the Makerere University Institute of Gender and Development Studies, stressed that the institution can no longer afford to be complacent.
“Why should we be comfortable when we don’t have women in university leadership, or when we see no female students in certain classes? Let’s come together with different voices, skills, and best practices to move forward in promoting gender equality,” Prof Nsibirano urged.
She noted that the hesitation to place women in top university positions often originates within communities where men resist female leadership. To combat this, she called for concerted external efforts to champion gender equality starting from the school level.
Makerere University is not short of regulatory frameworks. Dr Florence Ebila, from the Department of Women and Gender Studies, noted that the university has instituted several progressive policies over the years. These include: The Gender Equality Policy (2007); The Policy and Regulations Against Sexual Harassment (2017) and The Safeguarding Policy (2025).
However, Prof. Acai argued that having policies on paper is no longer enough.
“We have had policies since the early 2000s, but the real question is: Where is the implementation plan, and how do we track progress? If a policy mandates 40 percent representation for women in leadership, we must be able to measure whether that is being achieved,” he said. He added that the Magnetise project will actively support capacity building and promote exchange programs with European institutions to bridge these gaps.
In a speech delivered on her behalf by Dr. Suzan Mbabazi, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, Dr Sarah Ssali, reaffirmed Makerere’s commitment to gender equality as a core part of its academic, research, and community mandate.
Dr. Ssali highlighted that the university has made “significant strides” by institutionalizing gender equality through specialized bodies like the Institute of Gender and Development Studies and the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate.
“Despite progress globally and locally, we must acknowledge persistent gaps, biases, and inequalities within higher education institutions,” Dr. Ssali concluded, signaling the university’s readiness to confront the issue.