Gender and Disability Mainstreaming Department

Hello, and welcome to Gender and Disability Mainstreaming Department. Murang’a University of Technology is very committed towards realizing inclusiveness, gender equality and disability friendly environment. The University has also strived in ensuring student and staff with disability enjoy a barrier free environment by putting in place accessible toilets for PWD, ramps, accessible University website where one can increase and decrease the font for the low vision, recruiting a sign language interpreter, clear signage and presenting information in a format which can be understood by all users. The various activities conducted by the department are aimed at creating awareness on gender and disability issues affecting students and staff such as sexual harassment, gender based violence and discrimination of people with disability.

The Gender and Disability Mainstreaming section started at Murang’a University of Technology in October 2013. 

Vision

To mainstream gender and disability in all operation of the University.

Mission

To ensure equality, equity and inclusivity of all staff and students in Murang’a University of Technology 

The Gender and Disability Mainstreaming Department was started in Murang’a University of Technology in October 2013. The purpose of the Gender and Disability Mainstreaming section include;

• To collaborate with the University administration and teaching staff to ensure students with disability receive appropriate services to facilitate their learning.
• To work with the University Management to remove any environmental barriers that may make it difficult for students with disability to access the environment.
• To liaise with Director Catering and Accommodation to ensure suitable accommodation facilities for students with disabilities ,conducting sensitization on disability issues.
• To maintain data on employees and students with disability.
• To advocate for gender equality, creating awareness on gender based violence and sexual harassment.
• To ensure all functions of the University are disability  and gender responsive.

The department has three policies which guide its operation namely: Gender Mainstreaming Policy, Sexual & Gender Based Violence Policy and Disability Mainstreaming Policy.

The department closely works with two important committees which are:

• Disability mainstreaming committee 
• Gender mainstreaming committee 

The department serves the following objectives in the university;

1. To promote fairness and inclusivity by addressing gender concerns in the University on quarterly basis.
2. To promote fairness and inclusivity by addressing disability concerns in the University as they arise.
3. To enhance access of facilities and services to PWDs within the University by conducting usability and accessibility audit.

In the Gender Mainstreaming, the following are the ongoing activities carried out.

• Conducting sensitization of staff and students on gender violence and sexual harassment;
• Training of students and staff on gender violence and sexual harassment;
• Carrying out gender analysis;
• Advocating for fairness by celebrating world international days;
• Working closely with the University Management on the achievement of 2/3 rule on the gender representation by collecting and maintaining sex-disaggregated data;
• Participating in resource mobilization by writing proposals to support gender mainstreaming activities;
• Establishing and strengthening existing partnership and collaborations in gender and education.

In the Disability mainstreaming, the following are the ongoing activities carried out.

• Identifying students and staff with disability;
• Taking them through the NCPWD registration process;
• Maintaining data of employees  and student with disability;
• Ensuring persons with disability are entitled to barrier free and disability friendly environment;
• Sensitizing staff and students on disability issues;
• Conducting training on disability issues;
• To advice members of staff with disability to apply for tax exception certificate.

The staffs and students are encouraged to raise any disability concern, sexual harassment, discrimination and gender based violence by contacting Gender and Disability Mainstreaming Department located in the University library or email us on gender@mut.ac.ke or disability@mut.ac.ke