The Influence of Culture and Participation of Women in the Malian Political Landscape: Implications for Equal Opportunities in Education

The central focus of this study was to enhance gender equity in the Malian political and education sector. Since the era of the League of Nations, there has been recognition of women in the political arena, and there has been a cocktail of legal and institutional frameworks for advancing gender equality. However, women are not equally participating in the political landscape and in the key sectors of the economies. Limited participation of women in politics could be responsible for the widespread conflict, unequal opportunities in the education sector, and the absence of development. However, women political leaders have a crucial role to play in building peace and ensuring sustainable development. There were three specific research questions: The first question focused on the significance of women's participation in the Malian political landscape. The second question was on the extent to which limited participation of women in politics affects equality of opportunities in the Malian educational sector. The last question was on the possible options for addressing equity and access challenges in the Malian educational sector. The study was guided by the Socio-Ecological Framework, supported by the Social Perception Theory. A qualitative research approach was applied in carrying out this research. The population comprised institutions in the National Gender Machinery (NGM), which include the Mali National Gender Commission and the Ministries responsible for Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development. The legislative body (Parliament) in Mali, the Women's Coalition, and political parties are also part of the research. Traditional leaders, who are central to the transformation of customary laws, development partners, and non-governmental organisations, and whose focus area is gender and development, were also part of this study. The study used quota and purposive sampling techniques, with data being collected using in-depth interviews. The data were analysed thematically, with the findings presented in line with the research questions. The study showed that the importance of improving the gender balance in senior positions include improvement in performance due to fewer pilferages, access to a wide pool of talent, and improved decision-making. Female leaders take their duties and responsibilities more seriously than men do and can do multiple tasks. Women also bring different perspectives to debates, which were hitherto male domination, and gender balance in senior management improves the quality of decisions. However, because of limited participation, Malian women and girls are among the poorest in the world, and they have the highest rates of illiteracy. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that women are equally represented in the political landscape. Ensuring equal participation of women in politics could be possible if there are changes in terms of the customary laws, legal framework, participation of the local communities, assumption of leadership positions by women, and having women role models. The proposed changes in the social systems could be possible if there is education and capacity building. Education and capacity building is essential for changing the mindsets of people.