Women's Empowerment in Technical Vocational Education and Training. Exploring perspectives of females from vocational institutes: A case study of Nakawa Vocational Training Institute (NVTI)

Abstract

In Uganda, women have achieved significant progress in technical vocational education and training (TVET), both in institutions and in the workplace. However, entry and retention rates remain low, and women continue to face numerous challenges. The primary goal of this study was to determine how these young women interpret the concept of empowerment in the context of TVET. This study begins by investigating the experiences of female Nakawa students and graduates, including their decision to attend Nakawa, their challenges at Nakawa and in the workplace, and their interactions with male students and instructors. The participants' perspectives on empowerment are highlighted in this study through two themes: social and cultural attitudes, and individual sense of self. Overall, the young women's experiences show that Nakawa created an environment that was conducive to empowerment, since they established boundaries for fair enjoyment of rights inside the institute. Graduates, on the other hand, reported more difficult experiences because of discriminatory actions at their workplaces. Through the analysis of this data, empowerment is identified as a ‘process’ centred on the respondents' individual experiences.