ACHIEVING SOCIO –ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION
FOR WOMEN THROUGH ODL IN ZIMBABWE .A CASE
OF GWANDA DISTRICT

ACHIEVING SOCIO –ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION
FOR WOMEN THROUGH ODL IN ZIMBABWE .A CASE
OF GWANDA DISTRICT

Z MZACA

DINGINDAWO NCUBE

Globally there is concern for women empowerment and access to education. In developing countries such as Zimbabwe, of the 17%
who are illiterate, 2/3 of them are women who are marginalized, hence most have little or no access to education especially tertiary
education. Open and Distance learning has been seen as the panacea to address this imbalance since social realities limit the
opportunities for women to take up full time study programmes. In Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU), with its spread
to all regional compasses has been viewed as a realistic opportunity to enable the women to access university education. ZOU offers
degree programmes in the fields of Science and Technology, Business Management and Law, Humanities and Social Sciences and
Health Sciences. Based on the assumption that women have embraced the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode which suits
students who fulfill other commitments such as work and family, this study sought to assess the socio- economic transformation that
ODL, through ZOU has had on women in Zimbabwe in general and Gwanda district in particular. The study was carried out in
Gwanda District of Matabeleland South region in 2016, and used the qualitative approach. Purposive sampling was used to select the
participants. Data were collected through interviews. The study found that women have benefited from ODL programmes since they
now occupy influential positions at work and earn enhanced salaries. Their employment prospects have been enhanced by ODL
qualifications. Women have gained confidence to participate in workshops, meetings &conferences. The study recommends that the
government of Zimbabwe subsidises ODL programmes to increase the number of women in such programmes and more Campaigns
be undertaken on the benefits of ODL to women

Global Journal of Advanced Research

2016