Diversity Policy for the Public Service 2016

Abstract

Workplace diversity is a central issue in human resource management in any organization in the 21st Century. The call for workforce diversity has arisen in part from social movements which challenge traditional patterns of exclusions in most important institutions of society including work institutions and public employment. Organized societies have promoted change in legislation, social values and roles in the workplace. Civil rights, women’s and persons with disabilities movements have to a large degree put pressure to broaden composition of the labour force. This has led to opening up of opportunities for groups which previously had been excluded from accessing societal resources and opportunities. Progress has been made in terms of ensuring that groups previously marginalized gain employment in the public sector, but studies have shown that the said groups upon entering the service have encountered new challenges in career advancement. Issues of organizational justice and fairness have thus become important in public agencies. When addressing workplace diversity, emphasis is often placed on groups of people who, for historical, cultural and systemic reasons, have been excluded from the workforce or face barriers or discrimination that limit their full participation in the labour market. Diversity initiatives commonly refer to the policies, programs and strategies designed to promote representative diversity within organizations. Achieving diversity however, is a double edged sword where increased diversity creates challenges at both organizational and interpersonal levels. There is therefore need to have in place strategies of managing conflicts between the diverse groups of employees. Kenya as a member of the international community has ratified treaties and conventions that call for inclusion of all members of society in all sectors including public sector appointments. However, in the old dispensation, there was no legislation or policy to give effect to some of these international treaties and conventions. This led to disproportionate representation in the public sector in terms of gender, ethnicity and persons with disabilities.