Access to and participation of women in science-oriented vocational education and training programmes in Kenya

Abstract

Since the women's decade conference in Nairobi, various efforts have been made by governments and international donors to increase women's participation in formal schooling and the labour market. However, evidence still persists that women in most parts of the world face numerous challenges. The objective of this study was to explore persisting challenges that exclude women students from pursuing science and mathematics programmes in Kenya's vocational training institutes. The study sought to investigate factors influencing women's access to and participation in science oriented Vocational Education and Training (VET) programmes in selected Technical Institutes in Nairobi. To realise the purpose of the study, a survey design was adopted. Primary data was collected by use of questionnaire and interview schedule. The questionnaire contained both open ended structured questions. Informal discussions were held to seek clarification and additional information from the respondents. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5 was used for data processing and analysis. The study revealed that the general enrolment of females in VET institutions in Nairobi is lower than males and in particular they are under-represented in science oriented courses.