Gender Inequalities in Kenya

Abstract

The papers in this volume are a selection of those presented at the Conference on Understanding Gender Inequalities in Kenya held at Egerton University Kenya from 5th to 8th April 2004. Organised by the Centre (now Institute) for Womens Studies and Gender Analysis at Egerton in conjunction with the Department of Comparative and Applied Sciences at the University of Hull it brought together academics from inside and outside Kenya practitioners and politicians to explore the many dimensions of womens subordination and to discuss ways of confronting the entrenched legacy of male domination. Despite many years of academic analysis and practical feminist activity despite prestigious international resolutions and declarations of intent despite the increased prominence of womens issues in the discourses of governmental and non-governmental organisations alike progress towards gender equality is still painfully slow. Moreover just as advances seem to be made on particular fronts new problemsemerge. Economic restructuring the crisis of the state the explosion of ethnic conflicts and the toll of HIV/AIDS are all examples of issues which have had a profound impact on gender relations and perhaps nowhere have women felt their effects quite so sharply as in sub-Saharan Africa. Given the scope and speed of contemporary change it is thus essential to keep the changing patterns of gender relations under continual examination to monitor the extent to which progress is being made towards womens emancipation and to interrogate the adequacy of prevailing strategies towards this goal. (excerpt)