Fostering educational opportunities for girls in remote Tanzanian communities. The facilitation and inhibition of male community elders

Purpose This paper aims to explore how male community elders/leaders facilitate or hinder progress towards greater equity in secondary school education for girls in the Tanzanian remote areas. Design/methodology/approach Through the depth of participant observation and semi-structured interviews with two male elders from the Sukuma community, rich information was generated featuring ethnographic research design. Findings The findings underline that gender power dynamics and hierarchies, gender roles, are evident producers and perpetrators of gender inequities in the Sukuma community, in Tanzania. Practical implications There should be comprehensive training programs to community members focusing on gender sensitivity and inclusion. This training can be administered by the local government authorities to help mitigate gender biases and promote equitable treatment of all children in the community. Social implications There should be stronger enforcement of policies against harassment and discrimination of any person in the community and across the country to enhance equality and equity for men and women, boys and girls in different sectors including education. Originality/value Studying women and girls’ issues as a male researcher have provided an exceptional contribution to the body of knowledge and the field. The author’s position as a male researcher investigated on girls’ learning opportunities focusing on male community elders’ influences towards greater gender equity was very special to discover how men’s dominance over women can enable or hinder girls’ education progress.