How Effective Has Education Policy Been at Addressing Gender Inequality in Kenya?

Abstract

Over the last two decades, gender inequality has been of great concern to the world leaders, development practitioners, and scholars. There is an overwhelming literature demonstrating the socio-economic, political and environmental benefits at macro, meso and micro-levels when women become empowered and gender equality achieved. Using literature review, findings from empirical studies and scholarly articles were analysed and synthesised to assess how and to what extent the implementation of the education policy has been effective in addressing gender inequality in Kenya. Findings show that while the Kenyan government has put in place an impressive policy that details how gender inequality will be addressed, the implementation of the same has been rhetoric. Although the policy document integrates Gender and Development approach seeking to sustainably address the root causes such as poverty, economic and labour-related inequalities, cultural norms and stereotypes and the school re-admission policy for teenage mothers; the implementation of the education policy has instead focused on numbers of women/girls accessing and participating in education – anchored on Women in Development approach. To achieve gender equality, therefore, there is need to address the deeply entrenched causes of inequalities that disadvantage women and/or men.