This report is an in-depth case study that seeks to examine the extent to which Kenyan women
participate in the knowledge society and the socio-economic factors that affect their inclusion.
Following the ‘gender equality - knowledge society’ framework developed by GenderInSITE, this
report examines and analyses the conditions that facilitate participation of women in the knowledge
society including international, regional, and national policy frameworks for gender and equality;
social, economic, and health status; women’s access to resources; women’s agency; women’s
opportunities and capabilities with reference to access to education; and the degree to which they
participate in the knowledge society. The Kenya case study will join a number of other case studies
from around the world, providing a comparative analysis of female inclusion in the global knowledge
economy.
Recognizing that gender mainstreaming in the knowledge society is a direct result of enabling
policies; equality in social, health, and economic status; and equality in accessing an education,
employment, and resources, this report examines the extent to which these enabling factors are
present in Kenya. This report will do this by analysing the national policy environment starting with
an examination of the 2010 Kenyan Constitution, Vision 2030 national development plan, and
specific gender policies. We will then examine how gender perspectives enshrined in global policies
are incorporated into national policies of education, health, energy, transport, and employment
among other sectors. We do this by examining Kenya’s degree of ratification of international treaties
and agreements relating to gender, and the extent to which the government adheres to and
domesticates the agreements through national level laws, policies, and strategies.
The report then analyses the indicators of the social status of Kenyan women and reviews how
government policies work towards increasing equality and eliminating gender based discrimination.
Recognizing that a woman’s ability to enter and productively contribute to the workforce is highly
dependent upon her health, the third section will analyse the status of women’s health in Kenya.
This analysis will look at the accessibility and affordability of health care, disease prevalence, and
reproductive and sexual health. The report will then turn to the economic status of women analysing
their participation in the active labour force and their income earning potential. We analyse the
position of women in national decision-making roles, and then turn to an examination of their
inclusion in the knowledge economy. We draw our conclusion and recommendations with regards to
the role of government and other stakeholders in creating an enabling environment that encourages
the inclusion of women in the knowledge society, and outline concrete steps that should be taken to
ensure further inclusion and equality