UON-WEE HUB AND KU-WEE HUB CO-LEARNING SESSIONS -Reflections on Methodical approaches to research on Women's empowerment host a joint three-day virtual co-learning session from 19th to 21st May 2021

The University of Nairobi (UoN) - Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Hub, in partnership with Kenyatta University (KU) - Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Hub will host a joint three-day virtual co-learning session from 19th to 21st May 2021. The training on “Reflections on methodological approaches to research on Women’s Economic Empowerment” will bring together 40 senior researchers from the two Universities to reflect on the relevance of Grounded theory to WEE research.

The training shall be facilitated by Prof. Julie Stewart Director, Southern and Eastern African Regional Centre for Women’s Law, University of Zimbabwe; Prof. Patricia Kameri-Mbote, University of Nairobi; Prof Grace Ngare, Kenyatta University, and Dr. Nkatha Kabira, University of Nairobi.

The UoN-WEE Hub is a research initiative by the African Women’s Studies Centre (AWSC). It aims at producing cutting-edge evidence-based knowledge on what works for advancement and full realization for women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in Kenya. The UoN-WEE Hub focuses on four key areas: Affirmative Action Funds and Entrepreneurship, Women in Formal and Informal Employment, Childcare and Women’s Work, and Women’s Movement and Policy Advocacy for WEE.

The Hub prioritized projects for 2021 include:

      i.         Evaluating the impact of affirmative action funds: Women Enterprise Fund (WEF), Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF), UWEZO, National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) and Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEA) Development Fund on WEE, and identify best practices to inform Biashara. Kenya Fund (BKF) and Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS).

     ii.         Evaluating the Government of Kenya’s Economic Stimulus Packages and Social Protection safety nets during the Covid 19 pandemic and their implications for WEE.

   iii.         Enhancing participation of women in cross border trade through access to childcare facility.

   iv.         National budget policy statement and its implication on sectors that support childcare and women’s work.

     v.         Assessing What Works for WEE in Policy Advocacy and strengthening women’s self-mobilization for WEE: Case Studies of Kenya’s Biashara Kenya Fund and Credit Guarantee Scheme in collaboration with CRAWN Trust.

   vi.         Analysis of strategies that women’s movement used to realize the gains in the Kenya Constitution 2010 for strengthening self-mobilization for policy advocacy for WEE.