PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Henry Herrera
Phone: +1-301-801-0608
Email: davia@endtodv.org
Kenya’s Overlooked Gender Gap: Men Falling Behind
May 30, 2025 – Kenya has made visible progress in supporting women’s advancement. Yet, in the background, many men and boys face worsening outcomes in violence, health, and economic opportunity—issues that rarely make headlines.
Health:
Men in Kenya live over 5 years less than women—59.58 years vs. 64.69 in 2022 (1). Mortality is sharply higher too: 407.93 male deaths per 1,000 adults vs. 301.54 for females (2).
Child Labor:
Most working children aged 5–14 in Kenya are boys—88.5% compared to 84.2% of girls. Girls are more likely to receive pay (14.3% vs. 10% for boys), and boys remain the majority in family-based labor across the country (3).
Homicide:
Men face almost triple the homicide risk—7.2 male deaths per 100,000 compared to 2.7 for women (4).
Suicide:
Men are nearly three times more likely to die by suicide: 6.7 per 100,000 vs. 2.5 for women (5)(6).
Intimate Partner Violence:
In Kenya, 76.1% of men surveyed reported experiencing some form of intimate partner violence—including physical, emotional, economic, and sexual abuse (7). In a separate study, 60.3% of women reported IPV as well (8), underscoring that violence affects both sexes, though male victims often go unseen and unsupported.
Homelessness:
Eight in ten homeless people in Kenya are men, according to a national population report (9).
Workplace:
Men make up over 70% of the deaths and injuries on Nairobi’s construction sites. Young men in areas like Kasarani and Kibera face the highest risks (10).
Conclusion:
Kenya must acknowledge these disparities and take action to support the well-being of its men and boys.
The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization that is working to celebrate the contributions of men to society and to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys around the world. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen also will benefit women. https://www.menandboys.net/
Links:
1.https://www.statista.com/statistics/970808/life-expectancy-at-birth-in-kenya-by-gender/
3. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YTbyc8dhJvZeDqdRVOuRPx5CE51fM76_/view?usp=sharing
5. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.SUIC.FE.P5?locations=KE
6. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.SUIC.MA.P5?locations=KE