Gender in the 21st Century: Gender Perspectives in Leadership & Education

Prof. Grace W. Ngare, Director Centre for Gender Equity and Empowerment was invited by Mount Kenya University Nairobi campus on Wednesday, 13 th March, 2019 to give a public lecture under the theme: “Gender in the 21 st  Century: Gender Perspectives in Leadership and Education”. A renowned educator and gender specialist, Prof. Ngare addressed a 400 audience comprised of Mt. Kenya University management, Faculty, staff, students from Nairobi, Kenyatta and Mt. Kenya universities, Members of the National Assembly, and the general public at large. In her key highlights, she echoed the importance of focusing on gender equality and equity in all aspects of leadership including economic participation and decision-making. In her deep cutting speech she emphasized the much needed support for the 2/3 Gender Bill, which, if passed would enhance gender inclusivity in leadership and education.
Prof. Ngare brought out the historical perspectives of the gender revolution from pre-colonial, colonial, to post-colonial leadership and strongly emphasized on the SDG 5, which focuses on Gender equality. With equal enthusiasm, Grace highlighted the structural, social, cultural, contextual and political barriers which militate against achieving the gender agenda. She challenged her keen listeners to uptake the much needed gender paradigm shift to adopt new models of leadership and
strategies for gender advocacy.
Speaking on the African Indigenous leadership hegemonies, education & the gender discourse, Prof. Ngare brought the issue of servant leadership the African indigenous notion of complementarity between men and women in the pre-colonial societies. With the onset of colonialism, which altered the gender terrain by introducing capitalism, monetary economy, cash crops, formal education and formal employment, gender disparities began to emerge. In her concluding remarks, Prof. Ngare highlighted the struggles and achievements of women in the last century and retaliated that the gender agenda for the 21st Century resonates well with this year’s International Women’s Day theme “Think Equal, Build Smart, and Innovate for Change”