Introduction The welfare of human beings is the final reference point in judging the impact of what we do or fail to do.

Each one is entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature. Women have an essential role to play in the development of sustainable and ecologically sound system of natural resource management. This term paper explores how far women in sub Saharan Africa have participated in decision-making and negotiation processes and to what extent have their concerns been taken into consideration. Gender defined Ruth Meena (1990:85) posits that, gender is the social relations between man and women usually relating to power, domination and cultural practices. The scholar acknowledges that gender deals with the interaction between man and woman in various fields or specialties. Gender encompasses, .. the manner and mode in which differences of man and women, whether real or perceived, have been valued, used to assign and define the distinct roles of men and women and expectations placed on them. (Report of Ministry of Women's Affairs, New Zealand, http://www.gdrc.org/gender/gender-ests.html). The relationship between gender and violence is complex. The different roles and behaviors of females and males, children as well as adults, are shaped and reinforced by gender norms within society. These are social expectations that define appropriate behavior for women and men (e.g. in some societies, being male is associated with taking risks, being tough and aggressive and having multiple sexual partners). Differences in gender roles and behaviors often create inequalities, whereby one gender becomes empowered to the disadvantage of the other. Thus, in many societies, women are viewed as subordinate to men and have a lower social
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status, allowing men control over, and greater decision-making power than, women.

Strategies used by African leaders to deal with Gender issues in relation to gender theories.
Various African nations have endeavored to enhance the lives of women in different dimensions or approaches. Liberal feminists profess that women suffer discrimination in many areas of life. They have adopted various criterias to embark on women empowerment more so because of the recommendations of the United Nations.

The pursuit of equal rights for women through international law has been a slow process. The principle that everyone is entitled to rights "without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex..." was given voice in Article 2 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, the Declaration was non-binding and it took over 30 years for the international community to create a robust legal framework against gender injustice. The Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979. CEDAW has been described as a bill of rights for women; it spells out the areas in which women experience discrimination and commits countries to amend their laws, construct national gender policies and create institutions to deliver them.

A more recent positive development for women's rights was the 2011 launch of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, to be known as UN Women. This new

body merges the four UN agencies previously engaged in gender issues, elevating the seniority of input on womens issues within the UN decision-making process. Biological theories have been proposed to explain gender development and differentiation. The Evolutionary theory views gender segregation as ancestrally programmed. The ancestral origin of differences in gender roles is analyzed in terms of mate preferences, reproductive strategies, parental investment in offspring, and the aggressive nature of males. From this viewpoint, modern gender differences originated from successful ancestral adaptation to the diverse reproductive anxiety faced by men and women. Men contributed less to their offsprings likelihood of survival so they required multiple partners and were less selective with whom to mate. In addition, uncertainty of paternity raised the risk of investing resources in children who were not their own. African leaders have tried to ensure that men take full responsibility in the raising of by enacting laws which force to be pay for their childrens upkeep. (Coleman 1994:23)

Zimbabwe has always strived to achieve gender equality since its political independence in 1980. Over the years, in its continued commitment to removal of all forms of sex discrimination in the society, the government has alluded to several national and international gender declarations and conventions. Among these are the 1965 Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD); and the 1979 United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (National Gender Policy, 2004:1). In the process, many policies were put in place to advance gender equality. The gender affirmative action policy of 1992, the 1999 Nziramasanga Commission, and the National Gender Policy of 2004 are illustrative.

In 1999, the Nziramasanga Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training in Zimbabwe presented its findings noting, among other things, that gender disparities persisted at all levels of education (Nziramasanga Commission, 1999:173). As Dorsey (1996:30) explains; from an early age, daughters are groomed for their marriage roles of wife, mother and food provider and they are conditioned from an early age to believe that a woman is inferior to a man and that her place is in the home. This is what the socialist feminists view as cultural sources of womens oppression. African leaders have attempted to do away with cultural practices which perpetuate the marginalization of women such as traditional marriages that relegate women to the position of minors. (Nziramasanga)

Another explanation advanced for the under-representation of women in school headship positions concerned womens low self-esteem and lack of confidence. Interestingly, myths, stereotypes and prejudices related to the abilities and attitudes of women were seen by the participants to be among obstacles encountered for representation of women in management positions. This is because the social role feminist theory describes work and opportunity according to sex. In her survey of women managers Smith (1984:58) observed: many women have to a certain degree internalized the attitudes and role expectations about women, that they have learnt to fit neatly into the stereotypes. This can be a major handicap in the development of their individual personalities, their abilities and career potential. African leaders have tried to substitute words which seem to describe work according to sex such as headmaster, cameraman with words which are
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more accommodating to both sexes such as School head and camera person.(National gender policy, Zimbabwe)

Womens prioritization of family roles at the expense of their career advancement is not new. For example, Logan (1999:4) observes: culturally defined, desirable feminine behavior was nurturing and caring for others, placing importance on relationships and the quality of life. These responses confirm observations made by Wallin(1999) in Canada when she pointed out that the greatest cause of under-representation of women in educational management was due to sex discrimination in recruitment and promotion. If hiring committees preserve and promote sexist attitudes towards women, it is almost impossible for women to break the glass ceiling which exists within educational administration (Wallin,1999:8). The Zimbabwean government launched the National Gender Policy in March 2004 whose goal was to eliminate all negative economic, social and political policies, cultural and religious practices that impede equality and equity of sexes (National Gender Policy, 2004:3). One of the objectives of the policy is to promote equal opportunities for women and men in decision making in all areas and all levels (National Gender Policy, 2004:3). However, in spite of these measures there appears to be little impact in practice. For example, in the education sector, there are far fewer women heads than men in Zimbabwean primary schools. In many countries, concerns about gender disparities in education have focused on student performance, particularly in terms of under-achievement of girls, differences in access at various levels of schooling, dropout rates in subjects taken and these have evoked a range of explanations and policies around gender gaps in educational outcomes (Davies, 1990:61).
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However, the question of gender disparities in the management structures of schools and colleges has received little attention, despite the fact that there is recognition in education of both the importance of equal opportunity and the strengths that women bring to management (Coleman, 1994:117). Under-representation of women in educational management is not only experienced in Zimbabwe, but in many other countries too.

Conclusion
The majority of the women are adequately qualified for promotion to leadership positions. Indeed, a large number of them either have a university degree or pursue degree studies. In contrast, most of them did not attempt to apply for school headship and hence were still class teachers. Therefore, one reason for the persistent under-representation of women in school leadership roles was found to be their continued preference for family responsibilities at the expense of their own career development. Responses indicated that most women teachers allow or perceive their family responsibilities as a barrier that prevents them from applying for a headship post even though they are qualified for the positions. This may be due to the way girls and women have been socialized which makes them believe in the overriding importance of being a mother and wife first. All other responsibilities or possibilities must then play second fiddle. If not addressed, such established cultural stereotypes will continue to contribute to the perpetuation of under-representation of women in school headship despite the policies and strategies put in place to achieve gender equity.

Recommendations

The achievement of employment equity in primary school headship will re-quire a variety of strategies targeting gender stereotyping by individuals, institutions and policies. There should be more gender sensitive courses in schools. Since stereotypes impede the achievement of gender equity in school headship, there is a need to re-socialize individuals into a new order where gender equality is the norm. The school is one of the primary socializing agents and one of its main roles is to pass on societal norms and values to learners (Haralambos, 1995:124). The school should therefore offer programmes that assist both boys and girls to develop new orientations about the roles and capabilities of both men and women. Stromquist (1995:249) noted schools should offer courses for both boys and girls that address sexuality in its social context and the social dynamics of sexuality and how they tend to affect women. Such programmes should assist in modifying preconceptions as to femininity and masculinity that are usually stereotypic.

References 1. Coleman, M. (1994) Women in Educational Management. Longman. Harlow 2. Davidson, M.J. & Burke, R.J. 1994 Women in Management: Current Research Issues. London: Paul Chapman. 3. Davis, L. 1990. Equity and Efficiency? School Management in an International Context. London: Falmer Press. 4. Deem, R. 2002. Talking to Manager Academics: Methodological Dilemmas and feminist Research Strategies. Journal of the British Sociological Association. London 5. Dorsey BJ 1996. Gender Inequalities in Education in the Southern African Region Analysis of Intervention Strategies. Harare: UNESCO Haralambos H 1995. Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London: University Tutorial Press. http.www.CareerJournal.Internalize% 20Stereotypes% 20O f% 20Them es. Accessed 15 October 2011 National Gender Policy in Zimbabwe 2004. Harare: Government of Zimbabwe. Nziramasanga Commission 1999. Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training (in Zimbabwe). Harare: Government Printers.