Kenya Ranked 145 in 2016 Human Development Index in Advancing Gender Equality
Kenya has been ranked 18 in Africa and 145 in the 2016 report of the African Human Development Index, HDI, released by the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, in Nairobi, Kenya, last weekend at the sidelines of the just-concluded Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) summit in Nairobi.
Kenya leads in the Medium Human Development group category
The report focused on gender equality reviews the ongoing efforts of African countries to accelerate the pace of assuring women’s empowerment through all spheres of society – in the home and community, in health and educational attainment, in the workplace, and in political participation and leadership.
“A key message of this report is that giving more concerted attention to gender equality will be an important and long overdue stimulus to faster and more inclusive human development and economic growth for the entire continent,” according to Helen Clark, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme.
According to the report themed ‘“Accelerating Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa”, five African countries out of a total of 55 countries globally, are in the High Human Development group led by Mauritius, Seychelles, Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia. Twelve African countries out of a total of 39 countries worldwide are found in the Medium Human Development group and 36 African countries out of 44 countries globally fall the Low Human Development group.
President Uhuru Kenyatta during the launch of the report defended the country’s record stating that it has made progress in gender equity.
The President cited the establishment of a fully-fledged State Department of Gender Affairs as one of his administration’s efforts to support women’s progress.
He said there are also fully funded Government initiatives, to cater to women, which are backed by legislation.
“They include the Women Enterprise Fund which has disbursed Ksh 8.3 billion since its inception in 2007 and the Uwezo (empowerment) Fund which has disbursed Ksh 5.1 billion since its 2013 launch,” President Kenyatta said.
He said Kenya has also initiated the access to Government procurement opportunities program that requires every public procurement entity to ensure that at least 30 percent of its procurement in every financial year is allocated to women, youth and persons with disabilities.
“Through the Access to Government procurement opportunities, beneficiaries have received Ksh 32.2 billion since its inception,” Uhuru said.
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Other areas where gender inequality has been narrowed include the legislature where women make 25 percent of Parliamentarians, up from 9.9 percent in 2007.
At the Cabinet level, women hold 25.5 percent of the positions while 37 percent hold high-level positions in judiciary, 34 percent Principal Secretary Positions.
President Kenyatta pointed out that at the county level, 50 percent of all Members of County Assemblies are women.
The President also talked about legislation like the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 2015, Prohibition of FGM Act 2011, the Sexual Offences