KU wins Sh400m grant to spearhead gender research
Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Public Service and Gender Prof. Margaret Kobia at the launch of Kenya Economic Empowerment of Women through Climate Smart Agriculture in Arid and Semi Arid-Central Areas Project at a Nairobi hotel last month. She officially launched the KU-WEE hub on January 28.
What you need to know:
- KU to spearhead research on gender equality and women empowerment in the country for the next five years, after winning a Sh400 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
- The KU-WEE hub targets to boost the representation of women in leadership positions, corporate governance, manufacturing sector, as well as reduce gender-based violence by half, by 2025.
- The university won the grant in a competitive process last year, after submitting a proposal to establish the centre.
Kenyatta University (KU) will spearhead research on gender equality and women empowerment in the country for the next five years, after winning a Sh400 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The grant will be used to establish a Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE hub). The KU-WEE hub, which was officially launched by Public Service and Gender CS Margaret Kobia last Thursday targets to boost the representation of women in leadership positions, corporate governance, manufacturing sector, as well as reduce gender-based violence by half, by 2025.
The centre will serve as the national research facility for gender-related matters and its research works will be used to formulate policy decisions in the country, with national government agencies, county governments, other universities and economic players on board.
Competitive process
The university won the grant in a competitive process last year, after submitting a proposal to establish the centre.
“We must regret to know that when we are talking about gender equality in Kenya, the government knows that in terms of gender gap index Kenya is ranked number 109 out of about 150 countries,” said CS Kobia.
Ms Kobia noted that it had been observed through world economic forums that if Kenya does not better its initiatives to attain gender equality, it would take up to 200 years to achieve that. She, however, exuded confidence that the centre, through its research works, would help open more opportunities for women in the country, thus spurring development.
Covid-19 pandemic
KU Vice Chancellor Paul Wainaina said the university is currently supporting research projects in excess of Sh500 billion, with the latest being one of its kind.
“The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected the Kenyan economy, especially the informal sector, which supports a majority of women in this country. There is also preliminary evidence, that the pandemic has precipitated sexual and gender-based violence, an issue that is at the heart of this project,” Prof. Wainaina said.
The VC lauded the centre as one that had been designed to solve most of the challenges that have been proven to face women in the society, saying it would produce evidence-based research to guide policy decisions.
Informal works
“KU recognizes the human capital offered by women and girls is critical in the development process. However, available evidence shows that Kenyan women perform two thirds of the informal works in the economy, they receive only 10 per cent to which this project is designed to change the situation in favour of women and girls,” he said.
Among the main partners working with the university is the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Tharaka Nithi County Government, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and the Ministry of Public Service and Gender.
