Report ranks Kenya poorly in equity

Kenya ranks poorly in enforcing gender equity, a new report published by Social Watch on the eve of Women’s International Day neighbours indicates. The country scored 58 points among those countries with very low Gender Equity Index, which is six points above the Sub-Saharan Africa’s average of 52. Tanzania and Uganda scored 60 and 63 respectively while Ethiopia, which is performed worse than Kenya got 44.

The Gender Equity Index 2012, which was published by Social Watch on the eve of Women’s International Day to be marked tomorrow, is prepared annually to measure the gap between women and men in education, economy and political empowerment. It is an average of the inequalities in the three dimensions. In literacy, it examines the gender gap in enrollment at all levels while in economic participation, the gaps in income and employment is computed.

Empowerment index measures the gaps in highly qualified jobs, parliament and senior executive positions. Kenya scores unfavourably those countries leading the score such as Norway, Finland and Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Spain and Mongolia, all of them above 80 points. However, no country has reached 90 points or more, an indication that no country has yet to achieve the acceptable level, the report adds. Social Watch fights for the eradication of poverty and its causes, the elimination of all forms of discrimination and racism and to ensure an equitable distribution of wealth and the realisation of human rights.