Gender & Disability Mainstreaming

MESSAGE FROM THE COORDINATOR

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.

SERVICES OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT

Collaborating with the University administration and teaching staff to ensure students with disability receive appropriate services to facilitate their learning.
Cooperating with the administration to remove any environmental barriers that may make it difficult for students with disability to access the environment.
Equipping selected students with skills to address issues pertaining gender; gender based violence, sexual harassment and be gender ambassadors among their peers
Liaising with director catering and accommodation to ensure suitable accommodation facilities for students with disabilities
Linking students with disability to bodies that may offer financial assistance for example NCPWD and other organizations

About Gender & Disability Mainstreaming Department

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

Objectives

The department serves the following objectives in the university;

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

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 Ongoing Departmental Activities

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
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