Kenya's gender parity push bearing fruit
Kenya has made strides in closing its gender gap.
What you need to know:
- The report analyses progress in reducing gender gaps in economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.
- In 2022, about 30.73 per cent of women had attained science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Stem) education, an increase from 11.19 per cent in 2021.
Kenya has made progress in reducing inequalities between men and women, a new report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) has shown.
The country rose 38 places to position 57 out of 146 countries in the 2022 Global Gender Gap Report from 95th ranking in the previous year.
The report analyses progress in reducing gender gaps in economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. Despite the overall jump in ranking, Kenya has stagnated some areas.
In 2022, about 30.73 per cent of women had attained science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Stem) education, an increase from 11.19 per cent in 2021. Similarly, in the same year, more men, at 69.27 per cent, graduated from Stem courses compared to 20.84 per cent in the previous year.
The lifetime prevalence of gender-based violence for women, however, remained at 39.4 per cent. Mortality rates also stalled at 342 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Also read: Kenya lags behind on gender equality
In the meantime, the rates of unemployed men and women in 15-64 age bracket ballooned. The report shows 5.85 per cent of the girls and women in the country are unemployed, a widened gap from 3.13 per cent in 2021.
For boys and men, the employment rates jumped from 2.73 to 5.21 per cent.
Globally, on average, the gender gap has been closed by 68.1 per cent, with the report estimating that it would take 132 years to reach parity, a downward readjustment from 136 years in 2021.
No country has yet to attain gender parity, but in Africa, two economies have closed at least 80 per cent of their gender gaps, namely Rwanda (81.1 6 per cent) and Namibia (80.7 per cent).
On the global map, Iceland leads with 90.8 per cent, followed by Finland (86 per cent) and Norway (84.5 per cent).
“The economic and social consequences of the pandemic and geopolitical conflict have paused progress and worsened outcomes for women and girls around the world–and risk creating permanent scarring in the labour market,” noted Saadia Zahidi,WEF, managing director
