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Gender Disparities in Zimbabwe’s Audio Engineering Industry
Lorraine Sibusiso Phiri and Wonder Maguraushe
Published: 2025/09/01
Abstract
Globally, women are under-represented in some trades, including the music industry. In many parts of the world, women are beginning to move into the audio engineering field although they are still very few. This situation ought to be addressed given the aim to attain gender parity in communities. The paper discusses the causes of gender disparities in Zimbabwe’s audio engineering industry and proposes ways of redressing the situation. Data in this qualitative research was gathered through participant observation, document analysis and semi-structured interviews. Interviews were carried out with both male and female audio engineers and singers. The study revealed that abuse, disrespect, exploitation, fear, disinterest, inability, lack of expertise, lack of role models, and oppression are some of the factors that inhibit women’s participation in audio engineering. Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, we advocate for women to contribute to the achievement of gender inclusivity by actively partaking in audio engineering roles, enhancing their expertise and experiences as well as developing positive attitudes towards traditionally male-dominated trades such as audio engineering. We argue that background, exposure, preferences and abilities of women are all factors that affect their career choices in audio engineering. The research recommends that females forego the cultural limitations that inhibit them from pursuing audio engineering roles.
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