Issues Facing Kenyan Women in The Workplace

Gender bias is a big challenge facing Kenyan women in their workplace.

In the Kenyan society women are treated differently from men.  As we all know, men and women were created differently each of them handles situations a bit differently. Up to now this remains a shame that women in the Kenyan society are discriminated against more often than one would think.

Here are some common issues Women in Kenya face in the workplace. 

Gender Bias

Gender bias is a big challenge facing Kenyan women in their workplace. At times we think that corporate offices are bridging the gap slowly but the truth is that private institutions and government offices are still way behind on this issue.

In Kenyan society, jobs that require more travelling and physical exertion are still open to only men. The idea being that they, men, are more eligible than women are. It is sometimes very disappointing. While hiring, some employers ask openly about marriages as well as family planning, since they can’t afford to provide women with maternity leave and/ or other flexible perks. 

Sexual harassment

This is usually the most heart wrenching and shameful issue affecting Kenyan women in the work environment. Even though the Kenyan government recently passed legislation imposing harsh consequences for violations of harassment laws, there are still many cases where women in the workforce are targeted and frequently harassed.

I guess there is a bit of a cultural component driving the rampant harassment of women in the work environment. 

Work-life imbalance

Work imbalance in Kenyan society is also an issue faced by Kenyan women. It is increasingly difficult for women in Kenya to differentiate between personal and career life. They, at times tend to mix up commitments with personal priorities, making life very complicated for them. You find out that the family is being neglected, friends feel neglected.

Security

Last but not least is the issue of security which has been a threatening challenge to women in Kenyan workplaces. This includes cases of physical assault as well as abuse.  There are still employers out there who do not go the extra mile to provide security for their female employees. Security becomes an important issue in instances where the worksite is located in a rough neighborhood or that the employee must work late shifts.