Home > Gender, Women's Studies > Vol 1 No 1 June 2013 Abstract 1
Endangering Gender to Engender Gender: The Dynamics of Gender Equity in Education in Kenya and the Challenges of Achieving the International Commitments
Awuor Ponge
International Journal of Gender and Women’s Studies, 1(1), pp. 01-14.

Abstract
Access to education is of critical importance in a plethora of development discourse. Eliminating inequality is a development imperative for purposes of fairness and efficiency. Emphasis on girls’ access without due consideration to the boys risks leaving the boy an endangered species. Both the boy and the girl have an intrinsic right to well-being which is conditioned by each individual’s capabilities. Seeing education as a right is important because access to education is then unconditional and valued independently. The existence of gender inequalities in society places a demand on education to pursue justice in dealing with gender. This study concludes that there is therefore, an urgent need to generate and sustain political will to achieve gender equality in education; and that the Government of Kenya is unlikely to achieve its international commitments to gender equality in education by 2015, unless there is a shift of focus.

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Ponge, Awuor. (2013). Endangering Gender to Engender Gender: The Dynamics of Gender Equity in Education in Kenya and the Challenges of Achieving the International Commitments. International Journal of Gender and Women’s Studies, 1(1), pp. 01-14.

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Awuor Ponge is a Doctoral Candidate at Kenyatta University’s Department of Gender and Development Studies in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He is also an Associate Research Fellow and the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR – Kenya). He is also an Associate at the Education Enhancement Centre. He is a Double-Masters Degree in Development Studies from the Institute for Development Studies of the University of Nairobi on a Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF) Scholarship; and in Education, Gender and International Development (MA – EGID) from the Institute of Education of the University of London on a Commonwealth Scholarship. He is an Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Development Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). He has previously taught Development Studies at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). He is at present the Special Rapporteur of the Think Tank Network in Eastern Africa (TTN-EA). Previously, Ponge graduated with a Summa Cum Laude Bachelor of Arts Degree in Literature and Philosophy from the University of Nairobi.

Ponge has had comprehensive international and development experience including evaluation research and assessment; data analysis; and program and policy analysis. He has worked as a Consultant for many organisations including UN Women, UNICEF, USAID, Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, World Vision, PACT International, Tetra Tech ARD and IDRC on a number of multidisciplinary research and evaluation projects. He has been extensively involved in capacity building and in project management, and has had 13 years of experience in academia as a lecturer and trainer in tertiary educational institutions in Kenya. Ponge has authored/co-authored and edited 3 books and has authored a wide range of articles in peer reviewed Journals. He is at present a reviewer for the African Evaluation Association (AfREA) Journal. His research interests are in gender dynamics in educational evaluation; impact of research on policy and legislation; evidence-based research; Youth and development policy, gender and governance in general.