Latest News - ISER HYBRID SEMINAR 8 AUG - Gender Mainstreaming in Kenya’s Trade Agreements: The AfCFTA

THE INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH – HYBRID SEMINAR SERIES INVITATION

Gender Mainstreaming in Kenya’s Trade Agreements:

The Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement

Given the background of general exclusion of women in the economy and the labour force in many African countries (OECD, 2018), the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) promises development that is inclusive and sustainable for women at national and international levels (African Union, 2021). But will the AfCFTA achieve this if enterprises are not able to take advantage of cross-border connectivity because of current challenges on the ground? Is the AfCFTA is effectively gender-mainstreamed?

To celebrate the achievements of women and contribute to their future socio-economic advancement through important events held throughout this Women’s Month in South Africa, Visiting Professor at the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) and the World Trade Organisation Chairs Programme holder in Kenya, Professor Tabitha Kiriti-Nganga of the University of Nairobi, presents her findings and recommendations for policy using a Kenyan case study.

The ISER is pleased to invite you to participate in this truly African discussion by women with experiences from three regions of the continent on the challenges and opportunities for women as presented by the current implementation of the AfCFTA.

Online: REGISTER for Teams Webinar

In-person: The Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), 6 Prince Alfred Street, Makhanda, Rhodes University - please RSVP to b.mothlabane@ru.ac.za

“Some of the sociological problems that we have experienced include deep challenges that prevent women from participating fully in the labour force especially in developing countries like Kenya. While Kenyan women participate in international trade as entrepreneurs, workers and consumers, etc., they participate in the labour force only as self-employed or working for someone else (OECD, 2018). Their participation (FLPR) rate is also much lower than men.”

SPEAKERS:

Distinguished guest speaker: Prof Tabitha Kiriti-Nganga

Tabitha Kiriti Nganga is a Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics and Development Studies at the University of Nairobi specializing in International Trade, Gender, Poverty and Food Security. She is the Chair of the WTO Chairs Program in the University of Nairobi, member of the National Consultative Committee Trade Facilitation, National Consultative Committee on TBT, National Consultative Committee on University Education, Trade Program advisor at the IEA, Kenya and currently a mentor of the GVCs Phase 2 project at the AERC. She was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford University’s CSAE from January to March 2023 and is currently a visiting professor at Rhodes University ISER. Tabitha is Senior Fellow in the Pan African Scientific Research Council and has done extensive research, authored and co-authored books, book chapters, journal articles, policy briefs and working papers. She has been recognized by the University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor as the best in performance contract in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in March 2022 and in December 2022.

Discussant: Dr O. Oluwakemi Adeniyi

Dr O. Adeniyi has been an attorney for more than 20 years, with a Masters of Law degree from Obafemi Awolowo University Nigeria, obtained in 2003. She graduated with a Doctor of Law degree from the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Human Rights more than six years ago. She has been a University of Ottawa Queen Elizabeth Scholar and OpenAIR fellow, as well as a research fellow with the Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT) Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya. She has been a fellow at the International Centre for Women’s Leadership (2018) Coady International Institute, St Francis Xaviers University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. She has written and presented extensively on issues around women’s challenges, including the historical and sociological problems of child marriages in African countries.

Chair: Dr Reesha Kara

Dr Kara is a researcher at the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at Rhodes University. much of her research is focused on human and economic development with interests in single motherhood, socio-economic wellbeing, gender relations, poverty and social issues concerning everyday South Africans. Specifically, Dr Kara has years of experience and training in quantitative research methodology, focusing on the analysis of nationally representative survey data. Many of her research projects have been developed around the use of social statistics to understand social and economic phenomenon.