Celebrating the women making a difference

Women and human right groups march from Sabasaba to Lights to commemorate the International Women’s Day in Mombasa County, yesterday. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

Even as the world marked International Women Day yesterday, women professionals are still subjected to tough tests to prove their expertise even when they have the required academic qualifications.

In recognition of the tough environment women are working in today’s world, the Saturday Standard celebrates International Women’s Day by recognising women who have followed their hearts and pursued their passion and beliefs to fulfill the “Balance for better” theme.

When Anne Nderitu took up her internship as an engineer, one of the things she was made to do was lift heavy machines to prove that she was cut out for engineering.

The Girls Boardroom

It did not matter that she had wanted to be in that from the time she was a child -- it was a male dominated field, and there was still the unwritten rules that governed technological fields.

At 24, Ms Nderitu had graduated from the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) with a First Class Honours degree in Aeronautical Engineering. In their class of 18 students, there were only three women.

She could not ignore the numerous messages that kept reminding her she was not enough. She had to do something, not just for herself, but other women in engineering who are struggling to fit in.

She created The Girls Boardroom Forum, a networking platform that links female engineers with mentors. She found inspiration to start the Girls Boardroom after she successfully mentored high school female students who managed perform well in their final exams.

“I started mentoring secondary school girls in Kirinyaga even before I joined university. It is at high school that girls start shying away from Science subjects and Mathematics,” Ms Nderitu says.

The Girls Boardroom Forum, an online platform has a portal where students, graduates and people navigating career growth pose questions to experts in a wide range of fields, especially engineering.

“We have a dedicated team of 10 experts in different fields who offer tips. We have two energy experts from Sweden, two IT experts from Kenya and others drawn from differentcountries. We match mentors with graduates. We run a number of activities to empower women from marginalised areas socially and economically,” she says.

Nderitu is among the many women in Kenya who are struggling to be relevant in a patriarchal society where several forces push women to the periphery.

The latest reports by National Bureau of Statistics indicate that traditional ideas and roles assigned to girls and womenstill restrict them from participating in social and economic development.

“Women in Kenya are under-represented in decision-makingpositions. They also have less access to education at higher level, land and employment. Those living in rural areas spend long hours collecting water and firewood; interfering with school attendance and leaving them with little time to earn money or engage in other productive activities,” reads the report.

- Reports by Mercy Adhiambo, Jackline Mahugu, Agnes Aineah and Macktilda Mbeiywe