Wage disparity continues to be a major impediment to the progress of women in Kenya as highlighted by speakers in the just concluded Global gender Equality Conference held at Guateng city in South Africa.

According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2016, women are still earning less than their male counterparts in the same job positions. Women are paid Sh62 per hour compared to men who take home Sh100 for the same period.

Country Director, UN Women Zebib Kavuma said that the wage disparity continues to affect women’s spending power hence curtailing their progress.

Kenya ranked position 63 out of 144 countries on the gender gap index, which ranked the economies according to how well they are leveraging their female talent pool, based on economic, educational, health-based and political indicators.

Even though the wage gap issue is not isolated to Kenya only, the country was listed among nations with a worrying gender gap with Gender discrimination being cited in most cases as the major reason in the wage gap between men and women.

Last year, the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) chair Winfred Lichuma said that in a scale of 1-10, Kenyans ranks 4 in women empowerment.

Mrs Lichuma went ahead to point out public appointments to state corporations that were made then where only five women were picked out of the 31 board appointments made.

Political Empowerment

Kenya is still trailing her partners in the East African Community in empowering women in politics and the Two-Thirds Gender Rule is yet to be effected.

The country has only 20 women in parliament compared to 80 men and 30 in ministerial positions compared to 70 men.