Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, former Dean of the School of Information and Communication Studies at the University of Ghana, has reaffirmed the university’s commitment to affirmative action as a tool to address historical gender imbalances in higher education.
Speaking on Campus Exclusive on Radio Univers, Prof. Gadzekpo explained that affirmative action is intended to rectify historical injustices that have limited women’s participation in certain academic fields.
“Affirmative action seeks to correct historical wrongs,” she stated, noting that in the past, women were often actively discouraged from enrolling in specific disciplines.
She highlighted that societal attitudes contributed significantly to this disparity, with families sometimes questioning the value of investing in women’s education due to expectations around marriage and domestic responsibilities.
Prof. Gadzekpo further noted that in some programmes, the number of female applicants remains disproportionately low.
To address this, the university identifies academically strong women during admissions and offers them a modest advantage.
“We look out for sharp women, especially during interviews, and give them a little edge—not much,” she clarified.
She emphasized that this approach is part of broader institutional reforms and gender-sensitive policies guiding admissions and governance across the university.
Finally, Prof. Gadzekpo urged members of the university community to familiarize themselves with the University of Ghana’s Gender Policy, which is publicly available online.
“We invite the university community to read the gender policy so they can exert their rights under it,” she added.
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Story by Martin Awaitey Odjidja | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
