Social Sciences

Bachelor of Arts (Gender, Women and Development Studies)

The Bachelor of Arts (Gender, Women and Development Studies) is a four-year degree that examines gender, women's rights, and development from theoretical and applied perspectives, preparing graduates for careers in gender mainstreaming, social development, policy advocacy, and.

Students study gender concepts and theories, feminist theory, women and development, gender analysis frameworks, gender mainstreaming, gender and poverty, gender and governance, gender-based violence, women's human rights, gender and health, gender and education,.

Graduates find opportunities in government ministries, county governments, the National Gender and Equality Commission, NGOs, UN agencies, international development organisations, research institutions, and community-based organisations.

The programme is delivered over eight semesters at Egerton University, a CUE-accredited public university. The Institute of Women, Gender and Development Studies offers the programme with teaching methods including lectures, seminars, tutorials, fieldwork, and practical sessions.

Graduates work as gender officers, social workers, community development officers, NGO programme officers, research officers, policy analysts, and gender consultants.

This programme suits students with interest in social justice, women's rights, gender equality, community development, and policy advocacy. The interdisciplinary approach requires analytical thinking, research skills, and commitment to evidence-based social change, making it ideal for students passionate about addressing gender disparities and promoting inclusive development in Kenya and beyond.

Duration: 4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 175,950
Private, up to: Ksh 160,000
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 30 students
Award: Bachelor

What you study

10 subjects

Introduction to Gender Studies
Feminist Theory
Women and Development
Gender Analysis Frameworks
Gender Mainstreaming
Gender and Poverty
Gender and Governance
Gender-Based Violence
Women's Human Rights
Research Methods in Gender Studies

Modules

12 in the programme

Introduction to Gender Studies
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Foundational concepts of gender studies including sex and gender, gender socialisation, gender roles, gender stereotypes, and the evolution from women's studies to gender studies.
Feminist Theory
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Survey of feminist theories including liberal, radical, socialist, Marxist, black, postcolonial, and African feminism, and their application to gender analysis and women's empowerment.
Women and Development
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Women in Development, Women and Development, and Gender and Development approaches, examining how development policies impact women and gender relations in developing countries.
Gender and Culture in Africa
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examination of gender and culture in African societies including cultural construction of gender, cultural practices affecting women, and cultural change in the context of modernisation.
Gender Analysis Frameworks
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Gender analysis frameworks including Harvard, Moser, Longwe, and gender analysis matrices for assessing gender impacts of policies, programmes, and projects.
Gender Mainstreaming
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Gender mainstreaming theory and practice including mainstreaming strategies, institutional mechanisms, gender-responsive planning, and gender budgeting in public and private sectors.
Gender and Poverty
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Analysis of the feminisation of poverty, gender-disaggregated poverty data, poverty reduction strategies, and gender-responsive social protection programmes.
Women's Human Rights
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
International and regional women's rights frameworks including CEDAW, Beijing Platform, Maputo Protocol, and the Kenyan Constitution's gender provisions.
Gender-Based Violence
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Examination of gender-based violence including forms, causes, legal frameworks, prevention strategies, survivor support, and the role of institutions in addressing GBV.
Gender and Governance
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Women's political participation, governance, leadership, the two-thirds gender rule, affirmative action, and gender-responsive governance in Kenya and Africa.
Research Methods in Gender Studies
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Research methodology for gender studies including research design, data collection, gender-sensitive indicators, qualitative and quantitative methods, and ethical considerations.
Final Year Research Project
Year 4Semester 26 creditsCore
Final-year research project applying gender analysis to a real-world issue, with fieldwork, data analysis, written dissertation, and oral defence before a panel of examiners.

Specialisations

Gender Mainstreaming and Policy
Focus on gender analysis frameworks, mainstreaming strategies, gender-responsive policy formulation, and gender budgeting for careers in government, policy institutions, and international organisations.
Women's Rights and Advocacy
Focus on women's human rights, legal frameworks, CEDAW, advocacy strategies, and feminist jurisprudence for careers in women's rights organisations and legal advocacy.
Gender and Development Planning
Focus on gender and development theory, WID/WAD/GAD approaches, poverty analysis, and gender-responsive development planning for careers in development agencies and county governments.
Gender-Based Violence Prevention
Focus on GBV prevention, survivor support, safeguarding policies, and legal frameworks for careers in NGOs, UN agencies, and government gender departments.
Gender Research and Analysis
Focus on research methodology, gender analysis tools, data collection, and evidence-based advocacy for careers in research institutions and policy think tanks.
Gender and Governance
Focus on women's political participation, governance, leadership, and the two-thirds gender rule for careers in governance, civil society, and political advocacy.

A day as a student

A typical day combines morning lectures on gender theory, feminist perspectives, or women's rights with afternoon seminars discussing case studies on gender-based violence, policy analysis, or community development. Students analyse gender-disaggregated data, participate in group discussions on cultural practices, and develop gender-responsive project proposals. Evenings involve reading academic papers, preparing policy briefs, and researching gender issues for coursework assignments.

The trade offs

In its favour

Egerton University's Institute of Women, Gender and Development Studies offers a full academic pathway from certificate to PhD, providing opportunities for academic progression and specialisation.
The programme addresses a severe shortage of qualified gender personnel nationally and regionally, creating strong employment prospects in government, NGOs, and international organisations.
Kenya's constitutional two-thirds gender rule and SDG commitments create institutional demand for gender expertise across all sectors of government and development.
Programme combines theoretical gender frameworks with practical skills including gender analysis, mainstreaming, research methods, and policy formulation, preparing graduates for diverse professional roles.

Against it

Offered at only one university through KUCCPS, limiting access and programme choice for prospective students.
Entry-level NGO gender project officer positions can pay modestly (KES 30,000–50,000/month), with higher-paying positions requiring experience and advanced qualifications.
Gender work can be emotionally demanding, involving exposure to gender-based violence cases, discrimination, and social injustices that require emotional resilience and self-care.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 241 social sciences courses

Public153k to 176k

153k at Kenyatta University176k at University of Nairobi

Private105k to 160k

105k at Mount Kenya University160k at Catholic University of Eastern Africa

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

KU BA Gender 153,000/yr; UoN BA Gender 175,950/yr; MKU 105,000/yr; CUEA 160,000/yr. Src: kenyaeducationguide

Students can access HELB loans, county government bursaries, and university-specific scholarships and bursaries.

Funding options

HELB Undergraduate Loan
County Government Bursaries
University Scholarships and Bursaries

Scholarships

5 recorded

Higher Education Fund (HEF)
BursaryKenyan
Kenyan undergraduate students placed by KUCCPS in public universities
NGAAF Bursary
BursaryKenyan
Women, youth and persons with disabilities from vulnerable backgrounds
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 30,000Kenyan
Students from the respective county, applied through county education offices.
University Internal Bursaries
BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan
Needy students enrolled at the respective university, applied through the financial aid office.
Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Needy Kenyan students placed through KUCCPS in public universities.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+
Alternative entry: KCSE mean grade C+ with a Diploma credit in Gender Studies or a related field from a recognised institution. Relevant diploma in social work, community development, or gender studies may be considered.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment Tests
Coursework25% of the mark
Mid-semester and end-of-semester written tests covering gender theory, feminist theory, development studies, and research methods.
Research Assignments and Essays
Coursework25% of the mark
Research papers, gender analysis assignments, policy briefs, and essay assignments assessed throughout each semester.
Fieldwork and Community Project Reports
Coursework20% of the mark
Fieldwork reports, community engagement projects, gender assessments, and field attachment evaluations assessed through written reports and presentations.
Final Examinations and Research Project
Examination30% of the mark
End-of-semester written examinations and a final-year research project with fieldwork, data analysis, written dissertation, and oral defence.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). The programme is offered at Egerton University, a CUE-accredited public university. The Institute of Women, Gender and Development Studies provides academic oversight and quality assurance.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Statutory accreditation for all Kenyan universities offering degree programmes.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Gender Officer I (CSG 10)
High demandKsh 42,970 to Ksh 59,120
Entry-level government position implementing gender mainstreaming, conducting gender analysis, supporting gender-responsive policy formulation, and coordinating gender programmes at the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action.
Social Worker
High demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 50,000
Provides social support services, conducts case management, supports vulnerable groups including women and children, and links communities to social services in government departments and NGOs.
NGO Programme Officer (Gender)
High demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 50,000
Implements gender justice and women's empowerment projects, conducts community mobilisation, monitors programme outcomes, and supports advocacy for gender equality in NGO organisations.
Community Development Officer
High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 55,000
Facilitates community development programmes with gender-sensitive approaches, conducts socio-economic surveys, mobilises communities, and implements development projects for county governments and NGOs.
NGEC Programme Officer II
Moderate demandKsh 78,622 to Ksh 118,486
Supports the National Gender and Equality Commission in promoting gender equality, developing strategies for gender mainstreaming, and coordinating with government agencies and NGOs on gender programmes.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as gender officers, social workers, community development officers, NGO programme officers, and policy analysts in government, NGOs, international organisations, and research institutions.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical analysis software for social research data, survey analysis, and gender-disaggregated data analysis — standard tool in social science and gender research.
Microsoft Excel
SoftwarePrimary
Spreadsheet software for data analysis, gender statistics, budget tracking, project monitoring, and data management in gender and development work.
NVivo
Software
Qualitative data analysis software for coding and analysing interview transcripts, focus group discussions, and qualitative gender research data.
Google Workspace
Software
Collaboration and productivity tools for document creation, project coordination, email communication, and team collaboration in NGO and government gender programmes.
KoboToolbox
Software
Open-source data collection tool for field surveys, gender assessments, and community research — widely used by NGOs and research organisations for mobile data collection.

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Gender, Women and Development Studies is only for women.
The programme examines gender as a social system affecting all people. Men are encouraged to enrol, and male gender specialists are in demand for mainstreaming gender in male-dominated sectors like security, agriculture, and governance.
Gender studies graduates cannot find employment.
The State Department for Gender, NGEC, county governments, NGOs, and international organisations regularly recruit gender officers and programme officers. The programme addresses a severe shortage of qualified gender personnel nationally and regionally.
Gender studies is not a rigorous academic discipline.
The programme involves feminist theory, social research methods, policy analysis, gender budgeting, and empirical research. It draws on sociology, anthropology, economics, and law to examine gender as a social system.
This is the same as a general Sociology degree.
While related, this programme specifically focuses on gender, women's rights, and development — examining how gender shapes access to resources, opportunities, and power. It includes specialised modules on gender analysis, gender mainstreaming, and women's human rights.
Gender graduates only work in women's organisations.
Graduates work across all sectors including government ministries, county governments, constitutional commissions, research institutions, private sector HR departments, international organisations, and academia. Gender mainstreaming is required across all sectors by Kenyan law and policy.