The contribution of the Holy Cross Sisters to the educational empowerment of women in the Western province of Zambia

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to trace the contribution made by the Holy Cross Sisters (HCS) to the educational empowerment of women in Western Province, with reference to perceptions of former pupils of the Sisters. The study focused on examining how the Sisters have promoted the educational empowerment of women in the colonial and post-colonial periods. To do this, the researcher interacted with sixteen former pupils of Holy Cross Secondary School (HCSS) and one former pupil of Sancta Maria School, a school which was run by the HCS in Lukulu District before it was shifted to Malengwa where it finally became known as HCSS. A qualitative approach to data collection was used. The methods employed were one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). The research instruments used in the study were semi structured interview guide for FGDs, one-on-one interviews and observation guide. The study population consisted of all former pupils of HCSS and Sancta Maria School. The study captured a total of seventeen participants. A small sample was chosen to allow for the use of indepth interviews meant to capture the perceptions of the selected former pupils. The major findings of the study were that the former pupils of the HCS perceived the Sisters to be their major agents of education for empowerment. The HCS empowered women educationally through the provision of school education, following the Ministry of Education (MoE) designed curriculum, the hidden curriculum, hard work, good conduct and their emphasis on spirituality.