AN EVALUATION OF GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS IN KENYA

Abstract

A country’s most important resource is the skills of its people. To achieve equity and equality in skills development in TVET education, gender mainstreaming was identified. In 2007 Ministry of Education developed Gender in Education policy. There was need to evaluate the implementation process to find out: strategies in place, extent of the gender policy implementation process, the attitudes and perceptions of students and lecturers towards gender mainstreaming, challenges the implementation process faced, and way forward for the implementation process. The findings inform education stakeholders on progress of implementation. The study was based on the Management Evaluation Model and, on Liberal Feminist Theoretical framework. It adopted a mixed method research design. Sample was 276 respondents from ten selected TVET institutions. Probability and non probability sampling was done. Data were collected through three types of instruments (questionnaires, interview guide and document analysis guide). Piloting was done to enhance validity and determine reliability of instruments. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were organized into themes and patterns pertinent to the study. It was established that: bursaries and sensitization as strategies were in place, and they were working, the gender policy was being implemented in sampled TVET institutions, the perception of lecturers and attitude of students was positive. It was also established that the implementation process faced challenges, for example not all lecturers and students had been sensitized about gender mainstreaming and there were still some forms of gender discrimination. On way forward, use of role models and sensitization of all stakeholders in education were suggested as strategies to enhance gender mainstreaming. The following conclusions were drawn from the study: there were some strategies in place to achieve set objectives, for example provision of bursaries for female students to enhance enrolment in SET courses, the mean GPI for the sampled institutions had moved further from one (1), the lecturers and students had positive attitude towards gender mainstreaming, however, there were some cultural issues hindering gender mainstreaming in the TVET institutions, there were some strengths and weaknesses of the implementation process and, strategies. The following recommendations were made: bursary disbursement and sensitization to be enhanced, MoEST and TVET institutions to put in place mechanisms for effective implementation, cultural inhibitions to be addressed, innovative strategies for gender mainstreaming to be considered, and finally Government to set up structures for full implementation of gender policy.