Influence of women managers in educational projects on the perception of secondary school administrators, Bonchari Constituency, Kenya

Abstract

Gender and project management have been ignored in the project management, most fields in project management deal with how and who to implement a project from the first phase to the last phase irrespective of gender parity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the School Administrators' Perception of Women as Managers' of Educational Projects, Bonchari Constituency: Kenya. . The objectives of the study were to: Evaluate the perceptions of women managers' in the management on educational projects, Evaluate the role of women managers' in the management on educational projects, Determine the extent to which women managers' influence management of educational projects and Establish the strategies employed by women managers' to influence management of educational projects.

The Study adopted a descriptive survey design. The target population comprised of 40 (forty) administrators from secondary schools in Bonchari Constituency. Purposive sampling was used to select the respondents who were principals and their deputies in the selected schools. The sample comprised of 40 (forty) administrators. Questionnaires for were employed in collecting the data. The questionnaire was piloted in two secondary schools outside Bonchari constituency and a split-half method was used with the aim of assessing the reliability while validity of the research instrument was done through the expert advice of the supervisors and members of the department of University of Nairobi.

Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, distributions in percentages and frequency counts. Qualitative data was recorded from field data, transcribed and reported in themes and sub themes. The findings of the study indicated that these issues are of interest to the society, in general, and jointly women and the government, in particular. The results showed the presence of some obstacles, despite the support found for women, still restrict the representation of women in these positions.

Recommendations of the study were; the attitudes towards women managers within the ranks of decision-makers be addressed, in order to examine if they still associate men with managerial positions, and if men are still the favourite to fill top positions., It is also recommended that the experience of women managers be addressed to explore their challenges, needs, and how they think other people perceive them, It is recommended that the government address the lack of skills and abilities women have and, as a part of the support for women managers, provide training courses to develop the skills of women in managerial positions and that awareness-raising programs be conducted to highlight the importance of working of women in managerial positions, and what women can provide to organizations. These programs could also playa role in modifying the negative stereotypes prevalent in society about women's management.