Past Event! Note: this event has already taken place.

Social change through the law: pursuing the gender constitutional promise in Kenya

August 23, 2023 at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Location:D492 and Zoom Loeb Building
Cost:Free
Audience:Alumni, Anyone, Carleton Community, Current Students, Faculty, Media, Prospective Students, Staff
Key Contact:Institute of African Studies
Contact Email:african_studies@carleton.ca

Please join us for a hybrid talk with visiting scholar, Dr. Sarah Kinyanjui.
Abstract: The Constitution of Kenya 2010 is lauded as one of the most progressive. Notably, with respect to equality, the two-thirds gender rule in the Constitution bears disruptive potential. Indeed, the rule, that not more than two-thirds of members in elective and appointive positions would be of the same gender, has propelled increased participation of women in diverse spaces. However, despite the clarity in framing, this ideal is yet to be realized twelve years after the promulgation of the Constitution. Focusing on gender equality, the conversation interrogates the potential and limits of the law in engineering social change.

About the speaker: Dr. Sarah Kinyanjui is an academic, consultant, advocate of the High Court of Kenya, an accredited assistant counsel at the International Criminal Court, and a certified professional mediator. She teaches law at the University of Nairobi, Mombasa Campus, and currently serves as the Associate Dean of the Mombasa Campus. She holds a PhD in Law from the University of Leicester, UK and a Master of Laws – Law in Development from the University of Warwick, UK, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Kinyanjui has research interests in criminal justice, restorative justice, international criminal law, child justice, gender and the law, mediation, and technology as a facilitator of justice. She is currently exploring gender and intergenerational dimensions of environmental governance.

Registration required. Space is limited for in-person attendance. A Zoom link will be sent to participants upon registration