KENYA - Building foundations for gender-responsive county governance in Uasin Gishu, Kisumu and Nakuru Counties

Launching Gender Mainstreaming and Awareness Workshops

IYBA-SEED Kenya, in collaboration with VIFFA Consult and TradeSmart Consult, kicked off the Gender Mainstreaming and Awareness workshops in Uasin Gishu, Kisumu and Nakuru counties. Each county had a two-day forum bringing together Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs), Business Membership Organisations (BMOs), representatives of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and representatives of the County Governments. 

The forums centered on the theme Advancing Gender-Responsive Governance in County Development aimed to educate on awareness, inclusivity and sustainable implementation.

One of the many discussions that were held was about the challenges the participants face based on their gender, giving examples of unequal leadership roles in workplaces and gender biases. This enabled them to acquaint themselves with gender concepts, roles and power dynamics.

Integrating Gender into Planning and Budgeting

Dr. Masinde, Gender and Development Expert from TradeSmart Consult as he introduced the topic of Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting, quoted

“When gender is not considered from the start of planning, it disappears from the budget and outcome, making it disadvantageous.”  

Participants discussed how equitable budgeting recognises that men, women, and other groups experience and control resources differently and how inclusive budgeting can drive fairness and development impact. 

Promoting Safeguarding and Protection Measures

Discussions also focused on safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment that allowed the participants to give their experiences on it. It emphasised the importance of implementing good safeguarding practices, such as establishing safe and confidential reporting channels, allocating dedicated budgets for safeguarding activities, and developing survivor-centered referral pathways.

Developing Action Plans and Tracking Gender Progress

Through exercises and group discussions, the participants developed action plans to institutionalize gender equality within their departments and organisations. Additionally, they gained skills in monitoring, reporting, and gender accountability, learning how to track progress through measurable indicators. 

They identified key Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) indicators, such as the percentage of women, men, youth, and people with disabilities who benefit from county programs, and determined how to make their performance indicators more measurable and transformative. 

All forums concluded with a vibrant certificate ceremony, marking both the completion of the workshops and the beginning of a new phase of implementation of gender mainstreaming to their respective organisations.

Contact the IYBA-SEED Kenya Team