5.0. Women professionals in AGRITEX
The first group of female EWs were trained at the Alvord college in Masvingo in 1972. They were seven and had completed between two and four years of secondary education. In the agricultural colleges the women could not be accommodated as there were no female halls of residence. Of the seven that were trained in the first group, four are still with AGRITEX. The second group had six women. Those that have remained with the department (AGRITEX) one has managed to go for a diploma course and is now an Agricultural Extension Officer (AEO) one step up. The other three are still ordinary EWs after 20 years of service. Three went for further training and are now teachers. One joined a Bank (Standard Chartered Bank of Zimbabwe). Three went into secretarial posts, one is with the Masvingo provincial AGRITEX office.
These women pioneers in extension field were disadvantaged from the onset. They received one year training as opposed to some of the male EWs who had received two years of training. Their salaries were lower than men. They did not accrue any pension benefits and based on the public service rules of that time, they were also regarded as temporary employees. The situation changed after 1980 with the advent of independence when women were granted equal status with men, with the act for equal pay for equal job being promulgated. The female EWs were attached to male EWs for a period of three weeks before being deployed in their own area They were also given relatively small areas of operation in comparison with male counterparts. Their salary was Z$38 in comparison with Z$70 per month for men.
The first group of female EWs felt that they were well received by farmers, especially the female farmers. The female farmers were also said to be interested in Home Economics courses.
The three women still in AGRITEX as EWs feel that they have been discriminated against with regards to promotional posts to supervisor level. One of them acted in a supervisory capacity for a consecutive period of three years and not got the post. The EWs denied that they were not applying for promotional posts for fear of being transferred. Contrary to this all three are prepared to transfer to other parts of the district if they are promoted. The EWs feel that they are being denied the opportunity to apply for certain supervisory posts as these posts are not advertised in time for them to apply. Normally the women EWs said they got to hear of the vacant posts after interviews for the posts would have already been carried out and it is too late to apply.
The women feel that they had received a lot of in-service training and were up-graded to full-time EWs, together with men who had received less training than the required two years. Some men had undergone six months training for "specific" tasks such as conservation works. These had also been up-graded and to the dismay of these women had risen to supervisory levels, and yet the women had one year training prior to joining the service. One of the women has also completed a certificate in community work, but to go for a diploma course is too late for the woman, according to the age requirements for the agricultural colleges. There are also men who have been in the service for 20 plus years and still at the EW levels and just waiting and looking forward to retiring. The fact that there is no female EW who has attained the level of supervisor is disheartening, particularly to the young ones who have just joined the service.
Women have risen among other ranks in AGRITEX and there is no reason why ten years after independence there are no female EW supervisors. Their capacity is not in question as some of them have acted in various parts of the country as supervisors. In Manicaland province, annually there is an examination set for EWs and women have also come up on the top, so some of them are competent and should be considered for promotional posts.
With regards to the issue of the three female EWs who have not been promoted, it is because of the standing Public Service rules and not to do with AGRITEX management. According to one senior manager the new requirement for one to be promoted to supervisor level is that one should have obtained a minimum of five Ordinary level passes in five subjects.
The women may fail to fulfil this education requirement and hence do not qualify for the promotional posts. More information is required before any conclusions can be made with regards to why women are not being promoted at the EW level. At other levels women appear to be promoted.
There is only one female CAS and one female DAEO in the country. Most of these female professionals interviewed, feel that they had to work extra hard as compared to their male counterparts. One interesting comment made was that the hours of work for man can stretch beyond normal working hours whereas for women they cannot because of their productive and reproductive roles within the home. That explains partially, why married women are less mobile than single women both in terms of career advancement and even day to day mobility at work. The expectations and demands for these women to run the household and professional work programmes effectively may be too high.
An article appeared in one of the national daily newspapers, the "Chronicle", dated 14 January, 1993 entitled "Extension Workers are not too happy with their lot". The article suggested that the Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) felt that they were being considered as less essential in comparison with school teachers. The AEWs complained that they were being treated unfairly, because they had to meet similar requirements for training as those of teachers. That for both to be admitted into training colleges, they should have a minimum of five "O" levels. Both are trained for three years. The EW starting salary is Z$763, while that of a school teacher is Z$1,200. This again applies for an AEW employed by the Ministry of Education and Culture as a teacher, the starting salary will still be Z$763.
This does have a bearing in terms of attracting both male and female EWs into the profession. Equally more so for female staff who have traditionally been attracted to teaching and nursing.
One can argue that even if a need for more female EWs is identified, it will be very difficult to attract them into a lowly paid profession.
Some female EWs have gone back to teaching sacrificing an extra two years training to get a teaching certificate. Some are also contemplating leaving AGRITEX once they have saved enough money for tuition fees to pay for teacher training course. Conditions of service for women in AGRITEX are reviewed against the background that agriculture has been a male dominated field which has not really attracted women. Women have traditionally shunned taking up careers in forestry or agriculture.
Some female AGRITEX staff feel that women in the service should have confidence in their abilities. They should be prepared to take up challenges such as promotions even if it means being transferred. Heads of branches should not overtly sympathise with women as that also compromises their performance, and the way they are viewed by their counterparts. Some women are said to lack confidence even in the work they do, to the extent that they have to constantly check and concur with their counterparts for approval. The attitudinal problem towards the female sex also affect the women m the AGRITEX profession. Some of the professional staff felt that raising issues in a meeting can be a very difficult task for women. Even if one is raising technical issues there are problems with convincing colleagues. The women professionals also feel that they are left out in the decision-making process that affects their day to day activities at whatever levels of their areas of operation. So most women resort to keeping quiet in meetings. Female professionals feel they are more readily accepted by farmers than their male colleagues. Male colleagues have a tendency to put the women's professional competence to test which farmers rarely do. Some women professionals feel that their contributions in meetings are ignored or ridiculed and not taken seriously. Their recommendations may never be directly taken on. These seems to be stemming from their colleagues and immediate bosses at work. There seems to be a carry-over assumption that women do not make sense are, emotional, and therefore critical decisions are made on their behalf.
Women professionals in AGRITEX have sometimes experienced insubordination by fellow women juniors, in a situation where they would expect support. Female professionals feel that in the initial encounter with their new bosses, and new jobs, they have to work extra hard to prove that they are professionally competent. Whatever they do is critically reviewed in comparison with their male colleagues. Any slight mistake is blown out of proportion. Female professional promotions are also negatively viewed by male colleagues, and are seen as not based on merit but other criteria such as favouritism.
Attitudes towards women are a result of socialisation and this means that the question of prejudice applies to both men and women. Both men and women professionals can be gender blind. Men and women within the AGRITEX profession require gender awareness training.
Women professionals have raised the issue that even if their conditions of work are improved they are still constrained by the controls exercised over them by their husbands. An example is that of a couple of two EWs married, the wife is not allowed to speak at the EW meetings. When the two were placed in adjacent working areas, the wife stayed at home and the husband covered her job for her.
Another case is that of an EW married to a teacher. EWs in the month of November to December 1992 were almost working seven days a week distributing drought relief packs to farmers. Because this female EW was working full-time she could not perform her other household duties as instructed by the husband. She was thoroughly beaten and when in the meantime she was heavily pregnant
Further training for EWs is limited to in-service training which does not in any way enhance their status. Both the certificate and diploma level staff have to resign to go for further studies. The risks are very high in terms of resigning to pursue further studies, because there is no guarantee that he Department will take them back The major opening for advancement will lie with being trained for teaching.
The curricula for EWs should be reviewed in view of the changing environment in which they are operating. For a stars if the entry qualification for the certificate course now requires four years of secondary school instead of two years of secondary school; then the certificate should assume greater strength in content than before. The upgrading of certificate levels to diploma levels should be fairy easy if the certificate content is revised.
An upgrading exercise for EWs should be put in place, through offering in-service training. Both the young and old EWs prefer an in-service-service training that would lead to a diploma level instead of resigning and joining the colleges. For the old EWs they are constrained by age limits for entry into colleges, so an in-service training to upgrade them will meet their needs.
Women officers in AGRITEX who hold first degrees would wish to pursue post graduate degree courses through the Wye College programme, but preference is given to the diploma people and those degreed but who have had long service with AGRITEX. The coordinator of the course felt that AGRITEX should review this criteria, so that more women could participate in the programme. The programme is suitable for women professionals with their multiple roles of reproduction, household chores and looking after the family welfare. The sense of injustice is rife among EWs as they feel that the Technical Specialists fields are being catered for while the' are being neglected. For example the in-service degree programme with Wye College. And also the opportunities for rising professionally up the ladder is nil at EW level but at the specialist and officer level one can go up the ladder. The supervisory post is limited to a few and the chances of one being promoted are very slim.
In terms of further training, some married women professionals feel they are left out. Some are excused from attending a course without their knowledge, and would only be aware of it, after the training. This also compromises the women's chances of promotions. This may be an example of the made boss being over-sympathetic.
Women in the AGRITEX service incur a lot of expenses when they are breast-feeding and attending courses away from their duty stations. Because there are no nursing facilities for babies at the training centres, the women will have to stay with relatives or stay at hotel where their maids and babes are accommodated. Some courses are compulsory and cannot be postponed or deferred to another date. The women have to foot the bills from their own pockets. This applies to many women farmers who do not attend the meetings or courses, as a result.
The desire of woman professionals to be with their husbands can have a negative effect on their promotional opportunities. Some women professionals fail to apply for promotional posts because it would mean transfer if they get it. This is common among young couples. Some of the old women professionals who are married said they had no problems in transferring and leaving husbands behind
Soon after independence 1980 when more women were introduced into AGRITEX they posed no threat burrow men feel threatened. Men are resenting it, especially when women advance more then their counterparts.
Female EWs and AEOs are said to be disruptive when they seek transfers to join or be near their husbands. This again affects promotional opportunities for women. Some women do not apply for promotional posts if that would mean being transferred to another district or province. A case in point is of a female officer who has a potential for promotion, but has been shifting from one province to another following her husband. In so doing her career advancement is compromised as AGRITEX can only accommodate her if there is a vacant post. The existence of a vacant post again does not necessarily mean it would follow in line with her field of expertise. It may mean change of area of specialization and also possibly a junior post.
Transfers are a problem at province level as this may create a vacant post where one did not exist It is presently the policy of government that all vacant posts are frozen until further notice. In terms of manpower development plans certain officers are selected for training in certain areas of specialization to meet the gaps at province or district level. So once they transfer to another province that is a loss to that province.
Swapping of officers is also a common practice, in sorting out the problem of transfers. Just as issues of training arise, so does the issue of getting an officer or EW who is not motorised. It means the impact of the incoming officer will be limited in comparison with the predecessor. So again heads of sections are reluctant to allow for a transfer if it means a loss.
The women professionals complained that the issue of transfers is often trivialised and the response in many cases is negative. Some feel that this lowers their performance and productivity.
The majority of officers raised the issue of maternity leave for women as an issue of concern. The views range from viewing it as a privilege for women, to disruption of AGRITEX activities. As a privilege, it is seen as an extra leave women enjoy on top of study leave and annual leave. In terms of disrupting activities, this is said to be noticeable at officer level where there is an element of specialisation and therefore difficult to have temporary replacement. In the past there was usually a replacement rotating around filling in the vacancies at EW level. But now with the advent of economic reform programme and the rationalisation of the public service it is now impossible, to employ reserve personnel.
At EW level it is common practice for them to take care of a colleague's area of operations in their absence. This is viewed as not being disruptive because of the system in place of backstopping each other and this is rare and seen in isolated cases and therefore not worth mentioning. The fact that maternity leave was mentioned as an issue reflects the fact that there is still a general resentment towards having women in a service that has been predominantly a male preserve. It shows a lack of appreciation on the part of some male staff of the reproductive role women still have to perform, besides their professional role.
Instances quoted are where an EW goes on maternity leave during critical periods like when farmers are preparing for agricultural shows. There is usually a vacuum when specialists go on maternity leave.
For the period that these women officers/EWs are breast-feeding, they will not be able to attend courses that are far away from their homes or institutions. Training centres do not have facilities for baby care. For a year or two, an officer may therefore be immobile, in terms of travelling away from duty station.
