Focus Group Discussion on COVID-19
Today, Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) conducted a focus group discussion with a total of 19 young women who are in tertiary institutions. The aim of the discussion was to shed light on the effects that they are facing in light of COVID-19 as well as to suggest mitigation measures that can be put in place to ease some of the socio-economic and political burdens. During the discussion, young women highlighted the following issues:
Travel Restrictions
COVID -19 has limited people’s ability to enter into the Central Business District (CBD) to carry out their day to day business. Young women who are in tertiary institutions cited how they are constantly turned away at police road blocks in pursuit to carrying out school assignments. Others brought to light how difficult it is to get exemption letters from the police as they are not part of essential workers, based on what is enshrined in Statutory Instrument 200 of 2020.
Data Tariffs
The economic hemorrhage has impacted on student’s ability to purchase data that is a fundamental aspect when conducting online lessons. Final year students brought to light how the progression of their dissertations has been negatively impacted on. Findings have been distorted as individuals are now forced to work with limited numbers as proposed prior to the study.
Gender Roles and Studies
Young women are finding it hard to strike a balance with their studies and their gender roles in the home. Due to being locked down with family, young women do not exempt them from carrying out chores such as cleaning the house, fetching water, or even cooking. Young women highlighted that they continue finding it near impossible to play their gendered roles when they also have studies to attend to.
Restrictions by State Security Agents
Some students have lost out on time to attend lectures particularly when security agents turned away people without giving notice against being in the CBD. Students who were able to attend lectures are those who are resident on campus as opposed to those who are expected to board public transportation into the CBD.
Emotional Wellness
It was reported that the pandemic will likely lead to a dire crisis such as the escalation in cases of individuals who are diagnosed with mental illnesses. Students who were present today, cited that the pressure that comes with being idle impacts on their emotional wellbeing. Due to being on lockdown, some students are now questioning their decision of selecting the programs they are undertaking at tertiary institutions.
Tuition Fee Hikes
As the country’s economy continues to plummet, tuition fees in several tertiary institutions have been increased beyond the reach of many people. Other institutes are now expected to pay close to $36 000ZWL and students are unable to keep up with the amount that is being requested for.
Proposed Solutions
E-Learning Capacity Building
As schooling has now being diverted to the online space, there are challenges where students are unable to interact effectively with their lecturers. This is being caused by limited knowledge of how one can utilize platforms such as google classroom, zoom, and in worse scenarios WhatsApp. Students bemoaned how their lecturers lack urgency in responding to their academic needs.
Students suggested for their lectures to consider filming their lectures well in time so as to accommodate those who might find it hard to attend online classes. That can ensure that students are never left out of modules.
Data Packages strictly for tertiary students
In a bid to include the needs of tertiary students, young women suggested for policies that are sensitive to their ability to study, stressing the need to include tertiary students in remote areas who are currently not being taken into consideration.
There was suggestion for an introduction of a data package that caters for tertiary students. Young women cited that such a development can aid their studies as data is one of the many factors that impedes on their ability to attend online classes.