Assessing the Representation of Female Tutors in Colleges of Education – A Case of Northern Ghana

Global attention has been drawn to gender and sex issues. The purpose of this study is to assess the representation of female tutors in Colleges of Education in Northern Ghana. The Social Norms Theory and the Feminist Theory were adapted for this study. A mixed-method approach was used to analyze the data. The target population for the study were all the ten (10) Colleges of Education in Northern Ghana. The data was collected through focus group interviews and questionnaires. The data was curved into thematic areas and analyzed. A descriptive design was used to determine the present status of the phenomena. Key findings from this data include: Northern Colleges of Education have no Female Principal and Female Vice-Principal. For teaching staff, the results revealed that no female has the rank of Principal Tutor and Chief Tutor as compared to one percent (1%) of males occupying these ranks in the Colleges of Education in Northern Ghana. Seventy-six percent (76%) of the total population of females are Tutors and Senior Tutors as against eighty-nine percent (89%) of men in the same rank. Nevertheless, in some specific colleges, one key finding was that all the females tutors hold management positions in the college. It is time to re-evaluate hiring practices in public Colleges of Education so that qualified women are given preference over their male counterparts. This study contributes to scholarship on achieving gender equality. Keywords: Colleges of Education, Gender, Mainstreaming, Northern Ghana, Tutors.