Paper short abstract:

National Policy on Gender and Development address gender-based inequalities. However, women's representation remain minimal exposing women to high levels of poverty. How has KNPGAD implementation facilitated women's representation? Findings indicate a need for evidence-based policy-making processes.

Paper long abstract:

Globally, 26% of managers and leaders are women while 74% are men, and this gender-based inequality has hardly shifted in the past 30 years, based on a report released by the United Nations Agency for Women UNWOMEN 2023. The government of uses the Labour Institutions Act of 2007 and Kenya National Policy on Gender and Development (KNPGAD) to address gender-based inequalities. However, women's representation remains minimal exposing women to high levels of poverty and illiteracy. Therefore, the paper seeks to establish how the KNPGAD has been implemented and has been able to change and entrench women's representation landscape in labor Institutions in Kenya. The study used a mixed-method approach to research representation of women. The study used desk-based reviews, database confirmations, surveys, and Key informants’ Interviews to collect data. The data collected was both qualitative and quantitative. The paper used Feminist Institutionalism Theory to analyze how the institutional structures have impacted women's representation. Data were analyzed using Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The findings indicate a need for evidence-based policy-making processes to eliminate inequalities and create equal opportunities for all. The gender policies are expected to influence leadership systems and facilitate the inclusion of effective women representation. The study recommends expansion of women's representation in physical and digital spaces. Kenya National Policy on Gender and Development to address gender-based inequalities. However, women's representation remains minimal exposing women to high levels of poverty. How has KNPGAD implementation facilitated women's representation? Findings indicate a need for evidence-based policy-making processes.