EFFECT OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, CASE OF MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SERVICE, YOUTH AND GENDER AFFAIRS IN KENYA
Abstract
The objective of this research was to find out whether implementation of affirmative action has any impact on the employment of women in the National Government. The researcher used the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs as the case study since it is the one mandated to mainstream gender in the national development processes and to champion the socio-economic empowerment of women. The research had sought to determine if affirmative action can be achieved by ensuring that there is equality, diversity and inclusion, integration and empowerment of women who are working with the national government. This research established that Kenya has now a strong legal and policy frameworks that outlaw all forms of discrimination at the workplace but that has not translated into full implementation of affirmative action. Bias against women employees continue to be witnessed. The research adopted descriptive survey design. A questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions was used to collect the required data that was analyzed and presented. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics by means of SPSS which is a statistical software package. The researcher demonstrated that if Affirmative Action is implemented, gender equity would be realized in the national Government and available opportunities would be shared equally and promotion at the workplace would be made on the basis of an individual’s competence, skill, qualification and merit as opposed to gender. Further the research showed that the implementation of the Affirmative Action is necessary since there is no legal or any other justification at all for discriminating against women employed by the national government. Lastly, the researcher recommended that the national government should set up a commission to take audit of the state of implementation of affirmative action in across all sectors with a view to ensuring compliance and in default there be consequences against the defaulting employer.
Keywords: Equality, diversity, integration, empowerment, employment of women
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v5i3.823
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