"Educate A Nation": A Historical Analysis of Female Education's Impact on Kenyan Economics and Politics

Gender norms impact the educational system in Kenya, and influence the quantity and quality of education females receive. Additionally, this relationship formed between education and gender norms interacts with other societal structures, such as economic and political structures. Considering the connection between these structures, I analyze how changing gender norms impact educational, economic, and political structures in Kenya throughout three time-periods: pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial. I argue that shifting gender norms and educational structures in each period creates a unique relationship, as norms constrain the set of behaviors deemed appropriate for females in education to create a system of measurable educational inequalities for females in Kenya. The findings illustrate a few key issues. First, there is a distinct relationship between education and gender in each period that is categorically different than the relationship in other periods due to the shifting nature of gender norms and educational structures. Furthermore, I produce measurable results that define gender-based educational inequality in each time-period as well as measurable impacts to both the economic and political structures. Finally, I map the changes to my variables (gender, education, economics, and politics) and denote how these shifting variables have shaped the education system in Kenya today