Gender Balance & Equality

The Directorate is charged with the mandate to spearhead Gender Mainstreaming in Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Counties and the Private Sector with the aim of achieving Gender Equity and Equality across all the sectors. This is done through Capacity building of Duty Bearers; training on Gender Responsive Budgeting and engendering of all programs.

Functions of the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate include;

  1. Coordination of gender mainstreaming into national and county development agenda;
  2. Sensitization of stakeholders on gender related issues;
  3. Institutionalization gender mainstreaming in Ministries, Departments, Counties and Agencies (MDCAS);
  4. Collecting, compiling an analyzing sex disaggregated data from MDCAs;
  5. Analyzing MDCA reports to establish the level of compliance with the ‘not more than two thirds gender principle’ and gender budgeting;
  6. Identification of opportunities and documenting practices for up scaling and replication of gender programmes;
  7. Disseminating information on gender mainstreaming and other programmes;
  8. Coordinate organization of International Women, Widows Daysand other national events;
  9. Facilitating formation of county and community level structures for coordinating gender focal points activities across sectors;
  10. Mobilization of communities to participate in activities for promotion of gender equity and empowerment of women,and awareness creation on gender issues;
  11. Coordination of the Gender Sector Working Groups (GSWGs);
  12. Coordination of the Inter-Governmental Consultative Fora on gender;
  13. Facilitating monitoring and evaluation of gender mainstreaming programmes in MDCAs;
  14. Liaising with organizations handling gender issues;
  15. Providing input on gender mainstreaming in Medium Term Expenditure Framework, Medium Term Plans and other national budgetary processes; and,
  16. Monitoring, evaluation and reporting on gender mainstreaming activities in all MDCAs.

Key achievements

  • Gender Score Card Award: In 2017, Kenya won the Gender Score Card Award for Education and Skills Development Pillar at the 3rd Edition of the African Gender Score Card Awards during the 29th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union on 3rd July, 2017 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
  • Intergovernmental Framework: A draft Intergovernmental Framework on Gender has been prepared;
  • Launch of the National Strategy for Supporting Greater Participation of Women in Elective Politics;
  • Establishment of Gender Sector Working Group (GSWG)
  • Capacity building of 98 County Planning Officers trained on engendering of County Integrated Development Plans.