Fighting intellectual marginalisation through critical thinking: a glimpse at mature women’s tertiary education in Rwanda

ABSTRACT

This paper studies the motivations of 130 women who returned to education after the genocide against Tutsi. After 1994, Rwandan mature women embraced university education in greater numbers due to marginalisation at work, inhabiting a subaltern position as a consequence of their gender and secondary level of education. One way of overcoming work marginalisation was to enrol in an undergraduate programme that coincided with their current job or their prospective career. This article explores how attending university increased female students’ critical thinking skills. It will examine the impact of the university on their social and professional lives. By using a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, this paper will explore the motivation of mature female students from four private and public universities in Rwanda. This paper, which draws upon a constructivist approach, argues that the female mature students who participated in this study became critical thinkers whilst at university, after acquiring both theoretical and practical skills. This was further reinforced by the critical thinking, research and self-directed study skills that they developed, which in turn enabled them to continue learning by themselves. Consequently, participation in tertiary education enabled female mature students in Rwanda to become lifelong learners.

KEYWORDS:

• Rwanda
• mature women students
• intellectual marginalisation
• liberated education
• problem solving
• critical thinking
• self-directed study

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Charles Mulinda Kabwete

Charles Mulinda Kabwete is Associate Professor at the University of Rwanda, Department of History and Heritage Studies. He has published on Rwandan history, democracy in Africa, China – Africa relations and genocide studies. His area of research includes History, African Studies, genocide studies, reconciliation, history of cooperatives and education of women.

Safari Kambanda

Safari Kambanda is Lecturer at the University of Rwanda. He holds a PhD in Education on the Leadership and Management of Schools. His areas of research include Leadership and Management in high learning institutions, secondary schools, and Women empowerment.

Anne Marie Kagwesage

Anne Marie Kagwesage is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Modern Languages, University of Rwanda. She holds a PhD in Educational Sciences. Her research interests focus on language in education policy and practice, Teaching and learning in higher education, Teaching and learning in multilingual contexts, and Education for development.

Janvier Murenzi

Janvier Murenzi is lecturer at the University of Rwanda. He holds a DEA (Master’s) degree in Philosophy. He is pursuing a PhD programme in Political Philosophy. His areas of research include the Discursive Turn in Policy Studies, the Rwandan Ethics and Culture and the Renewal of Music Education in Rwanda.