A review of major obstacles to women’s participation in higher education in Kenya
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Date
2006-03
Authors
Sifuna, Daniel N.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Abstract
The paper provides a comprehensive review of the major obstacles that hinder the participation of
girls and women in higher education in Kenya. This is on the basis that their low participation in
this level of education is a key constraint to the development of the country. While it is reckoned
that girls’ and women’s education is inextricably linked with other facets of human development,
the focus in the paper is on educational issues. Among the major obstacles identified include policy
framework, in which it is seen that since the colonial period in Kenya, gender was an important
determinant of educational provision. Women’s subordinated position arising from colonial
economic structures coupled with traditional cultural practices determined the extent to which they
could participate in education; such that by the last decades of colonialism, a very small proportion
of girls attended primary and secondary schools. It is also seen that while on the whole independence
increased women’s educational and employment opportunities, gender inequality has
remained persistent. The government is called upon to promote female education through legislative
and policy reform. There should be an entitlement to good-quality primary and secondary
education for all. While secondary education is the gateway to women’s higher education, government
policies have often forced girls to attend poor-quality secondary schools. The effect of poorquality
secondary education for girls is reflected in their serious under-representation in more
competitive courses, such as medicine and engineering in the public universities. It is suggested that
some affirmative measures be adopted in university admissions to increase the participation of
women as well as mounting bridging courses in the sciences and technology and allowing for credit
transfers in university admissions for students from technology-based tertiary institutions.
Description
Publisher version (Taylor & Francis) available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13596740500507995
Keywords
Citation
Research in Post-Compulsory Education Vol. 11, No. 1, March 2006, pp. 85–105