An intersectional approach: unpacking gender inequality in Kenyan higher education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38140/ijer-2026.vol8.1.18Keywords:
Intersectionality, diversity and equity, inclusion, gender studies, higher education, organisation sustainability, sustainable development goalsAbstract
Much of the existing literature on gender in Africa has represented women as a homogeneous group, thereby neglecting the diverse identities among African women. This limitation constrains our understanding of the persistent gender inequality in academia. This conceptual paper investigates the intersection of gender and ethnicity among women, with a particular focus on issues of gender inequality within Kenyan higher education institutions. The study employs a qualitative intersectional framework to gather and interpret secondary data. The secondary data were identified through a scoping review and analysed using qualitative inductive thematic analysis. An intersectional methodological framework was utilised to examine the complex and multifaceted challenges that Kenyan women encounter, attributable to their ethnicity and gender, in accessing higher education. This approach provides a more nuanced understanding of the inequities present in Kenyan higher education. The findings indicate that the intersection of ethnicity and gender contributes to disparities in literacy and early education, student admissions, programme enrolment, and the recruitment and promotion of academic staff in Kenyan universities. The results demonstrate that gender inequality in academia is intricately linked to ethnic hierarchies and other social divisions. By shifting from a solely gender-focused lens to an intersectional decolonial perspective, this study enriches the scholarship on gender in African academia. It underscores the necessity for contextually relevant reforms aimed at challenging patriarchal norms and ethnic biases, thereby fostering a more equitable and inclusive environment within Kenyan universities.
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