In a collaborative effort aimed at fostering gender inclusivity and empowering women in leadership roles, the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) has partnered with the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) to organize an enlightening convention.
The NGEC is a constitutional Commission established by the National Gender and Equality Commission Act. No. 15 of 2011 under Article 59 (4) and (5) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
The Commission’s mandate is to promote gender equality and freedom from discrimination for all people in Kenya with a focus on Special Interest Groups (SIGS) which include, Women, Children, Youth, Persons with Disabilities, Older Members of Society, Minorities, and Marginalized Groups.
The 4-day convention themed ‘Empowering women in leadership through Purpose, Resilience and Equity’ serves as a platform for robust discussions and strategic insights into advancing women’s empowerment in leadership positions.
The participants are to be educated on gender policies and constitutional laws through various training and networking sessions to achieve their goals.
Speaking at the Marina, English Point, Mombasa, Joyce Mutinda, Chairperson of the National Gender and Equality Commission highlighted significant insights regarding women’s representation in top management roles.
Citing data from the World Bank, Mutinda revealed that Kenya witnessed 23,3 percent of firms with women occupying top management positions, slightly trailing behind Sub-Saharan Africa’s average of 25.6 percent and the global average of 27.1 percent.
“The government is committed to ensuring that women are empowered through various courses like those offered in the Kenya School of Government as well as the 2 Women Economic Empowerment Hubs in Kenyatta University and the University of Nairobi respectively that focus on the full realization of women’s economic empowerment,” said Mutinda.
She emphasized that beyond political affiliations, the winning formula lies in the implementation of top-up mechanisms noting that this strategic approach has the potential to revolutionize the traditional norms surrounding the nomination of women officials in comparison to men.
She added that by introducing top-ups, the political landscape can undergo a transformative shift, ensuring a more balanced and inclusive representation of women in leadership positions.
“We need to take up article 197 in the Kenyan constitution that states on the nomination of MCAs and that include top-ups. Once we top up, that will mean a section of the nominated officials gets elected while others get a promotion hence this will reduce the number of women nominated,” said Mutinda.
The Executive Director of IHRM, Quresha Abdillahi urged women in HR professionals to be deliberate in implementing gender policies that safeguard the rights of women within their institutions.
She reiterated the urge to have the parliamentarians pass the two-thirds gender principle legislation as soon as possible.
The proposed legislation dating back to 2013 stands for a significant constitutional provision aimed at empowering women, particularly in light of the enduring history of political marginalization and denigration faced by women. Thus, the forum is set to end on Thursday.
By Nuru Soud and Fatma Said
