Gender Policy 2011

Abstract

The Kenya National Policy on Gender and Development (NPGD), 2000 spells out a policy approach of Gender mainstreaming and empowerment of women and clearly states that it is the right of women, men, girls and boys to participate in and benefit equally from the development process. The NPGD provides a framework for mainstreaming gender in all policies, planning and programming in Kenya and puts in place institutional mechanisms to ensure effective implementation. The need for a national policy arose from the government’s realisation that without a coherent and comprehensive overall framework for guiding gender mainstreaming within the different sectors and line ministries involved in development, enormous resources may continue to be misplaced. The Department of Gender and Social Development was established in December 2006 following the merger between the Departments of Gender and Social Services. The overall mandate of the Department of Gender and Social Development is to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through gender mainstreaming in the development process, capacity building, social protection, community participation and public – private partnerships. These strategies are informed by and consistent with the objectives of the flagship projects under the social pillar of the Kenya Vision 2030.