Exploring female students’ quest for leadership and their lived experiences at the Durban University of Technology

Abstract

South African institutions of higher learning should support female students as they pursue leadership roles within the institution. It is compulsory for the institution of higher learning to have students’ representatives in South Africa. Student participation inside formal governance institutions is supposed to provide platforms that allow students to communicate and negotiate their complaints and demands to relevant authorities. However, the representation of female students in student leadership is still dimmed. Providing opportunities for female students to develop and self-identify as leaders would better prepare them for the future. In the dynamic landscape of leadership at the Durban University of Technology in South Africa, female students strive to assume pivotal roles as leaders within various clubs and societies affiliated with the institution. The aim of this study is to explore female students’ quest for leadership and their lived experiences at DUT. The study’s objectives are to explore female students’ motivation to become leaders and to identify the factors that enable and/or constrain female student leaders in their quest for leadership. Employing a qualitative research approach grounded in interpretivism, this study employed semi-structured interviews conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Purposive sampling was used to identify potential participants. A total of twelve participants were interviewed until data saturation was reached. The data collected was thematically coded using Tesch’s eight steps to reveal patterns and themes in the data. The findings underscored the intrinsic drive of female student leaders, coupled with extrinsic motivations. However, their experiences were marred by constraints stemming from entrenched patriarchal norms and gender stereotypes within affiliated groups. Despite the university’s efforts to foster gender equality and equity, institutional support often falls short in mitigating the impact of gender bias. Moreover, the study identified a pressing need for capacity development programmes tailored to enhance the leadership skills of female students. This study advocates for proactive measures to address gender disparities, empower female leaders, and cultivate an inclusive environment to foster their growth and development.