Partnership leads to realization of Research and Documentation Centre

Abstract

National Gender Research and Documentation Centre The University of Nairobi (UoN) in a joint initiative with the government through the Ministry of Devolution and Planning and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recently launched the Gender Research and Documentation Centre. This Centre which has been possible through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the three institutions in January 2013 will be located at UoN’s Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library.

The Centre will facilitate documentation of research on gender and peace building activities. Through analogue and digital means (virtual) scholars who value generation of knowledge in the area of gender will be able to source information from Kenya, the Great Lakes region and the entire world. The concept, gender is a common word, which appear in many documents including development and work plans of almost all organizations, however, ensuring that the principles of gender equity, is put in practice remains a challenge to equally many organizations.

While officially launching the Centre on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, UoN, Prof. Henry Mutoro, the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Affairs, assured stakeholders of the University’s full commitment not only to the study and documentation of gender issues, and more so to mainstreaming gender in all its activities. To this end, UoN has a division dedicated to gender mainstreaming, whose functions include establishing public-private partnerships for research collaboration, networking and funding; establishing and maintaining a resource centre; promoting gender equality in staff recruitment, training and promotion; ensuring that gender parity in student enrolment and performance is improved across disciplines; raising and sustaining gender awareness within university and promoting gender sensitive language in all forms of communication.

Others who spoke during the launch include Mr. Mohammed Djelid, Director, UNESCO Regional office for Eastern Africa, Marcel Rudasingwa, UN Resident Coordinator and Prof. Winnie Mitullah, the Director of the UoN Gender Affairs Division