The role of technical and vocational education and training in women’s empowerment: a capabilities perspective
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Date
2019
Authors
Matenda, Sophia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
The Department of Higher Education and Training in South Africa has conceptualised Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as being transformative and developmental in addressing unemployment, inequality and poverty (DHET, 2012). Priority has been placed on increasing access to this form of post-school education, and more women have been enrolled in predominantly male fields, such as engineering studies, than before. It is, therefore, vital from a social justice perspective to analyse whether engineering education is able to enhance the opportunities and freedoms that women students have reason to value. The study uses the capability approach for analysis in understanding the experiences of women students in and through TVET education. The study acknowledges the importance of the economic and monetary benefits of education but argues that this is not sufficient. Such an analysis will lead to an understanding of the constraints and facilitators for the women students as they experience TVET education. As this study is a qualitative study, information was gathered through in-depth interviews with 14 women students studying engineering at a particular TVET college, four lecturers at the same institution and the Principal.
Findings from this study show that, while the South African government has been supporting the TVET sector through increased funding, improved infrastructure and staff training, TVET still needs to be embraced as a viable post-school system by many South Africans. None of the women participants in this study wanted to enrol at a TVET college yet ended up opting for this owing to constraints, such as poor passes, an inability to afford university education, and having dropped out of university for various reasons. An examination of the experiences of women students revealed various challenges, such as sexist comments from lecturers, feelings of alienation, sexual harassment, too much workload and the inability to actively participate in the learning environment. All these are conversion factors that end up affecting the conversion of resources into valued functionings. Evidence from this study, therefore, mostly points to the constraints that characterise the experiences of women studying engineering at a TVET college. Informed by the capabilities approach, I came up with a list of nine capabilities valued by the women studying engineering at a TVET college. From the conversion factors, which affect the well-being of students, the study recommends TVET education that fosters various capabilities for women engineering students. This way, both students’ well-being and women’s empowerment may be promoted through TVET education. Findings from this study will help in the understanding of women students’ experiences at a TVET college and may assist in the promotion of multidimensional education to foster the lives that women have reason to value. By so doing, women’s empowerment through TVET education may be promoted.
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Keywords
South Africa, Technical and vocational education and training, Human development, Capability approach, Capability list, Women’s empowerment, Thesis (Ph.D. (Development Studies))--University of the Free State, 2019