Social Sciences

Master of Arts in Women Leadership and Governance in Africa

The Master of Arts in Women Leadership and Governance in Africa is a postgraduate programme that provides advanced study of women's leadership, governance, gender equality, and women's empowerment in the African context. The programme equips students with theoretical knowledge, analytical skills, and practical tools for advancing women's leadership and governance across the continent.

Core areas include women's leadership, governance, gender and development, feminist theory, women's rights, political participation, policy analysis, and research methods. Students engage with both theoretical frameworks and practical policy and governance applications.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi through its Department of Sociology, Social Work and African Women Studies. The programme was established to address the underrepresentation of women in leadership and governance positions in Africa and to build capacity for gender-responsive governance.

Students develop competencies in gender analysis, leadership, governance, policy analysis, advocacy, research, and women's empowerment. The programme includes coursework, examinations, thesis, and oral defence. Students take 16 taught course units and a thesis.

UoN (public) charges KES 27,000 per unit with total programme cost of approximately KES 537,000 (~KES 268,500/year). Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with at least Upper Second Class Honours. Lower Second Class with two years of work experience may also be considered.

Graduates pursue careers as gender specialists, policy analysts, governance advisors, women's rights advocates, and development consultants in government, NGOs, international organisations, and civil society.

Skills Required

Gender Analysis and Mainstreaming
Women's Leadership and Empowerment
Governance and Public Policy Analysis
Feminist Theory and Gender Studies
Advocacy and Lobbying
Political Participation and Electoral Processes
Research Methods in Gender Studies
Policy Formulation and Analysis
Project Planning and Management
Human Rights and Women's Rights

Key Subjects

Women's Leadership Theory and Practice
Governance and Public Policy
Gender and Development Studies
Feminist Theory and Gender Studies
Women's Rights and Human Rights Law
Political Participation and Electoral Processes
Gender Mainstreaming and Policy Analysis
Advocacy and Social Movements
Research Methods in Gender Studies
African Women's History and Movements

Certifications

UN Women Gender Equality Certification
AWDF Women's Leadership Certification

Specializations

Women's Leadership

Focuses on women's leadership, leadership theory, women in management, leadership development, and understanding and advancing women's leadership in Africa.

Governance and Politics

Examines governance, political participation, electoral processes, women in politics, democratic governance, and understanding and advancing women's participation in governance.

Gender and Development

Covers gender and development, gender mainstreaming, gender planning, development policy, and integrating gender concerns in development planning and programming.

Women's Rights and Law

Focuses on women's rights, gender law, human rights, legal frameworks, and understanding and advancing women's rights through legal and policy frameworks.

Policy Analysis

Examines policy analysis, gender policy, governance policy, policy formulation, and analysing and developing gender-responsive policies.

Advocacy and Activism

Covers advocacy, lobbying, activism, social movements, campaigns, and understanding and practising advocacy for women's rights and gender equality.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 220,500
Private, up to: Ksh 297,140
Job market: Moderate

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 20 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Women's Leadership Theory and Practice
Governance and Public Policy
Gender and Development Studies
Feminist Theory and Gender Studies
Women's Rights and Human Rights Law
Political Participation and Electoral Processes
Gender Mainstreaming and Policy Analysis
Advocacy and Social Movements
Research Methods in Gender Studies
African Women's History and Movements

Modules

12 in the programme

Theoretical Approaches in Women's Leadership and Governance
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines theoretical approaches to women's leadership, governance, feminist theory, leadership theory, and understanding women's leadership and governance through theoretical frameworks.
Gender and Governance in Africa
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers gender and governance, governance systems, women's participation in governance, democratic governance, and understanding and advancing women's participation in governance in Africa.
Research Methods in Gender Studies
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines research methods, design, data collection, analysis, and conducting research in gender and women's studies, preparing students for their thesis.
Women's Rights and Human Rights Law
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers women's rights, human rights, gender law, CEDAW, Maputo Protocol, legal frameworks, and understanding and advancing women's rights through legal frameworks.
Gender and Development
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines gender and development, gender mainstreaming, gender planning, development policy, and integrating gender concerns in development planning and programming.
Women's Political Participation and Electoral Processes
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers women's political participation, electoral processes, women in parliament, quotas, political parties, and understanding and advancing women's political participation.
Gender Policy Analysis and Formulation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines gender policy, policy analysis, policy formulation, policy evaluation, gender-responsive budgeting, and analysing and developing gender-responsive policies.
Advocacy and Social Movements
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers advocacy, lobbying, activism, social movements, campaigns, women's movements in Africa, and understanding and practising advocacy for women's rights.
African Women's History and Movements
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines African women's history, women's movements, African feminism, women's activism, and understanding African women's historical and contemporary experiences.
Leadership Development and Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers leadership development, leadership skills, management, organisational development, and developing and applying leadership skills for women in Africa.
Thesis Proposal
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Preparation of thesis proposal, including research design, literature review, methodology, and proposal presentation for thesis.
Thesis
Year 2Semester 24 creditsCore
Original thesis on a women's leadership, governance, or gender topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Women's Leadership
Focuses on women's leadership, leadership theory, women in management, leadership development, and understanding and advancing women's leadership in Africa.
Governance and Politics
Examines governance, political participation, electoral processes, women in politics, democratic governance, and understanding and advancing women's participation in governance.
Gender and Development
Covers gender and development, gender mainstreaming, gender planning, development policy, and integrating gender concerns in development planning and programming.
Women's Rights and Law
Focuses on women's rights, gender law, human rights, legal frameworks, and understanding and advancing women's rights through legal and policy frameworks.
Policy Analysis
Examines policy analysis, gender policy, governance policy, policy formulation, and analysing and developing gender-responsive policies.
Advocacy and Activism
Covers advocacy, lobbying, activism, social movements, campaigns, and understanding and practising advocacy for women's rights and gender equality.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MA in Women Leadership and Governance in Africa programme at UoN combines lectures, seminars, tutorials, and research. Sessions cover women's leadership, governance, gender and development, feminist theory, and women's rights. Women's leadership sessions examine leadership theory, women in management, leadership development, barriers to women's leadership, and understanding and advancing women's leadership in Africa. Governance sessions cover governance, political participation, electoral processes, women in politics, democratic governance, and understanding and advancing women's participation in governance. Gender and development sessions examine gender mainstreaming, gender planning, development policy, gender analysis, and integrating gender concerns in development. Feminist theory sessions cover feminist thought, gender theory, intersectionality, African feminism, and understanding gender through theoretical frameworks. Women's rights sessions examine human rights, women's rights, gender law, legal frameworks, CEDAW, and understanding and advancing women's rights through legal and policy frameworks. Political participation sessions cover electoral processes, women in parliament, quotas, political parties, and understanding and advancing women's political participation. Policy analysis sessions examine gender policy, governance policy, policy formulation, policy evaluation, and analysing and developing gender-responsive policies. Advocacy sessions cover advocacy, lobbying, activism, social movements, campaigns, and understanding and practising advocacy for women's rights. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Guest lectures from women leaders, gender activists, policymakers, and governance experts provide real-world insights. The programme culminates in a thesis on a women's leadership, governance, or gender topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme addresses critical gap in women's leadership and governance in Africa, aligned with Kenya's constitutional gender provisions and SDGs.
Career opportunities in government, NGOs, international organisations, UN agencies, and civil society with growing demand for gender expertise.
Programme combines leadership, governance, gender, and policy perspectives, providing interdisciplinary knowledge.
UoN's Department of Sociology, Social Work and African Women Studies provides established academic foundation and research capacity.

Against it

Programme is only offered at UoN (public), providing no alternative institution choice.
Career paths may be primarily in NGOs and civil society, which can have funding-dependent job security.
Some employers may not recognise the specialisation, preferring broader degrees in public administration or development studies.
Programme may be perceived as advocacy-oriented rather than rigorous academic training, despite its scholarly content.

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

Public187k to 221k

187k at Moi University221k at University of Nairobi

Private156k to 297k

156k at KCA University297k at United States International University 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

UoN ~220.5K/yr. Moi 187.2K/yr. KCA ~155.8K/yr. USIU ~297K/yr (eafinder).

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. AWDF provides grants for women's development and leadership in Africa. UN Women supports gender equality programmes in Africa. The programme's gender and governance focus attracts donor, UN, and civil society funding.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
AWDF Grants
UN Women Funding

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate women's leadership and governance studies at recognised universities.
AWDF Grants
GrantKsh 250,000
African Women's Development Fund supports women's development and leadership in Africa, providing grants for postgraduate study.
UN Women Funding
FellowshipKsh 200,000
UN Women supports gender equality programmes in Africa, providing fellowships for postgraduate study in gender and governance.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: The programme covers 4 semesters with 4 units per semester. Students take 16 taught course units and a thesis. UoN offers full-time and part-time modes. Intake in September. Contact the Department of Sociology, Social Work and African Women Studies for specific admission requirements and procedures.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework40% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, research papers, policy briefs, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination30% of the mark
Written examinations covering women's leadership, governance, gender theory, and research methods, conducted at end of each semester.
Research Proposal Defence
Practical30% of the mark
Assessment of research proposal, including research design, literature review, methodology, and proposal presentation for thesis.
Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original thesis on a women's leadership, governance, or gender topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). University of Nairobi offers MA in Women, Leadership and Governance in Africa (course code M10) through its Department of Sociology, Social Work and African Women Studies. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate gender and governance studies training.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. UoN offers MA in Women, Leadership and Governance in Africa (course code M10) through its Department of Sociology, Social Work and African Women Studies. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate gender and governance studies training.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Gender Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Provides gender expertise, overseeing gender analysis, mainstreaming, policy development, and supporting gender-responsive programming in organisations.
Policy Analyst
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Analyses and develops policy, overseeing policy research, analysis, formulation, and supporting evidence-based gender-responsive policy.
Governance Advisor
Low demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Advises on governance, overseeing governance analysis, women's participation, democratic governance, and supporting inclusive governance.
Women's Rights Advocate
Low demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Advocates for women's rights, overseeing advocacy, lobbying, campaigns, and supporting women's rights and gender equality initiatives.
Development Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Consults on development, overseeing gender-responsive development, programming, evaluation, and supporting development programmes and projects.
University Lecturer
Low demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches gender and governance studies in universities, conducting research and training future gender, governance, and development professionals.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as gender specialists, policy analysts, governance advisors, and women's rights advocates in government, NGOs, and international organisations.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical software for gender research, survey analysis, and quantitative data analysis in women's leadership and governance studies.
NVivo
Software
Qualitative data analysis software for gender research, interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and qualitative data analysis in gender studies.
Microsoft Excel
Software
Spreadsheet software for data analysis, gender statistics, policy analysis, and managing research data and analysis.
Stata
Software
Statistical software for gender research, econometric analysis, survey analysis, and quantitative data analysis in governance and policy research.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Women's leadership and governance is only for women.
The programme is open to all genders and addresses gender equality, which requires engagement from both women and men.
The programme is just about feminism.
The programme covers leadership, governance, policy, development, law, and research, with gender as an analytical lens, far beyond feminism alone.
There are no career opportunities in this field.
Kenya's constitutional gender provisions, devolution, and international commitments create demand for gender specialists, governance advisors, and policy analysts.
A master's in women's leadership is not a serious academic discipline.
The programme involves rigorous research methods, theoretical analysis, policy analysis, and scholarly writing comparable to other social sciences.
The programme is the same as gender studies or sociology.
While related, this programme specifically focuses on women's leadership and governance in Africa, combining leadership, governance, and gender perspectives.
The programme is only for those working in women's organisations.
Graduates work across government, NGOs, international organisations, private sector, and academia, applying gender and governance expertise in diverse settings.