We aim to create a hub for self awareness and growth. Empowering the woman has a ripple effect of empowering the whole community

1. AMAZING WOMAN DIALOGUES
KENYATTA UNIVERSITY LADIES MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
JULY 14, 2014

2. Inspired by the Proverbs 31, Virtuous woman
INTRODUCTION
Amazing Woman Leadership Forum is a unique project initiated by Kenyatta University Student
Association (KUSA Gender Secretary). It is meant to empower and encourage our female
students to get out of their comfort zones and aim high in career advancement as well as in
leadership.
The project was initiated after realizing that many ladies in Institutions of Higher Learning are
shy and few embrace leadership responsibilities. This project is therefore meant to equip them
wholly, on their Gender, role in communities, Women Leadership and generally encourage them
to be agents of change to their peers and those younger than them. They will therefore be
required to identify High Schools and Primary Schools to mentor as part of the program.
After four weeks of self-discovery forums, they will proceed to a higher level where practical
Business and Civic Leadership Skills will be instilled. An Executive Breakfast will mark this
transition where they will dine and network with established and prominent women personalities.
General Overview
Since time antiquity, women have been known to be the backbone of the Community in African
set up. They not only take care of their families but a whole society as well. Over the years, that
has been the primary obligation of women. They were simply the custodians of the family and
communities at large.
The Gender Affirmative Action in 1980s saw a change in this. Women began advocating for
their rights and Gender Equity was born consequently leading to the birth of the modern career
woman. Initially, the objective was to fight for their rights and eliminate Gender-based
harassment in work areas. The scope has since been widened to cover a number of areas.
Two decades later, the cause is still valid and the desire is still burning. Gender Equality is being
propagated for. However, in the midst of all these, there is a contemporary career woman. She

3. Inspired by the Proverbs 31, Virtuous woman
does not fully understand the reason why she enjoys such amicable treatment at the workplace.
Those who envisioned the current society fought the war for her enjoyment two decades ago.
To ensure continuity and even further understanding of the place of a modern woman,
mentorship with such milestones in mind are necessary. Indeed the modern woman should
understand the path through which the society has travelled. This is probably the best way to
claim their entitlements.
Kenyan Perspective
Our society took a considerable long time to understand the role of women. It was not until, the
spirited fight put in place by revolutionists such as Prof. Wangari Maathai who enlightened on
the need to integrate women in our society took center stage. Such people and many more who
foresaw the place of society with women efforts would wish for the continuity of the mentorship
process.
The modern society has a different dimension for empowerment. The modern woman is faced
with a number of dilemma. Understanding of such is the first step to understanding their active
roles.
Figures and Facts
Out of the graduates who are produced from Kenyan institutions of Higher Learning, about 38.9
% are females according to research done by USAID in 2013. When the progress of this
population is traced, a meager 18.9 % is realized to occupy a number of leadership positions as
corporate chiefs or other successful careers in either government or private sector, according to
local media reports. These figures leave out a 20% deficit showing the disparity and a disconnect
between the ladies graduating from Institutions of Higher learning and those who actually go
ahead to make their contribution in different expected areas. This therefore leads to questions
and concerns; what could have caused the 20% deficit? Could they be married and hence opted
to suspend their Career goals and other objectives due to the same? Or are they not confident
enough to lean in?

4. Inspired by the Proverbs 31, Virtuous woman
Kenyatta University’s Perspective
Despite the overall population of female students currently standing above 50% mark
(Admissions Office), not much has been realized in terms of the ladies participation in a number
of instances. Take the Kenyatta University Students’ Association(KUSA) congress for instance,
Out of 74 Congress Members, only 13 are ladies, all of whom are representatives of areas with
exclusive ladies’ jurisdiction such as ladies hostels. No lady, either contested or won a Faculty
congressperson or other areas where the two gender are allowed to compete. Added to this, the
Executive members’ composition does not show any difference in facts, out of the 13 members,
the ladies representation stands at 2. The percentages stand at 20% for the former and 15% for
the latter. This representation, again attests to the earlier national picture of approximately 20%
of women participation in active roles.
What could we do to ensure that the women are not handed the positions as a matter of need to
fulfill the Constitutional a third representation requirement? There is need for a platform to
mentor, prepare, nurture and deliver women of purpose, those who understands themselves
perfectly, those who understand their roles and those who balances the Career goals, family
goals, social challenges and all the expectations bestowed on them. This is where Amazing
Woman Dialogues comes in.
Needfor Mentorship-Amazing Woman Dialogues
From the foregoing revelations, it is therefore critical to formulate a mentorship strategy to
connect the missing link in women. Such culture needs to be nurtured at early ages so as to
instill the values and ingrain such in their systems. The few women who have realized their goals
should go back and provide the avenue for other young women to prosper as well. This fact
brings to fore the relevance of Amazing Woman Dialogues.
PRACTICAL FRUIT OF EFFICIENT MENTORSHIP
Prof. Olive Mugenda, the Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor who has made a number of
practical changes in the lives of many in Kenya and beyond, is one perfect example of efficient
and focused mentorship. One of her long time mentors is Prof. Leah Marangu, the Vice
Chancellor, African Nazarene University. From such mentorship, the lives of many have been

5. Inspired by the Proverbs 31, Virtuous woman
permanently transformed. Such focused Mentorship is what Amazing Woman Dialogue, foresee
for young girls, mature ladies and women in general. To this end, the old adage that when a
woman is empowered the whole community is, will come to pass in our contemporary society.
Relevance of Amazing Woman Dialogues
The Amazing Woman provides the platform to nurture women leadership and foster
understanding of women among themselves. At an early age, the program will show the Kenyan
lady what the society expects of her and the dynamics which she has to comply with. Such
platforms will be created in form of an interaction and sharing table. The results will be self-
awareness at an early age and increase in confidence to face the different expectations lined for
the ‘Amazing woman’.
CONCEPT AND FRAMEWORK
Proposed Work Plan of the Project
This project proposes a leadership learning platform for the young women inform of an
interactive forum with established and prominent women personalities. Such forums will be
exclusively meant for women interactions and learning from established women leaders. The
proposed forums and the stages of learning will be conducted according to the schedule provided
herein. A student population of 50 ladies will be mentored in each shift. The ladies will be
grouped in cohorts of 5each resulting to ten tables and teams. The ladies will be encouraged to
work together and foster strong bonds among one another.
Each table will have one mentor. The training will take place for 3 weeks, with conduction of 2
classes per week. Here are the flows of categories for the whole package:
WORK PLAN
The training will be a month-long progressive undertaking, which will take up young female
students under a training platform for different levels with the preliminary levels involving

6. Inspired by the Proverbs 31, Virtuous woman
induction and female potential uncovering while the latter stages will involve further unmasking
and finally corporate placement for the young women. The higher levels have not been script
written as the first level as we’d like them to be creative and a mind-blowing challenge for the
ladies. The levels of the program will include:
Silver 1
Gold -
Platinum-
SILVER 1 PROPOSED PROGRAM
Date Topic Prospective facilitator
24/06/2014 Gender Identity and Awareness Dr. Nyawira Gitonga
Director, K.U Band
Ms.Minky Wanja
Gender Secretary, KUSA
26/06/2014 Women and the world of business Joyce Muthoni
Lead Consultant,
Proteque Consulting
01/07/2014 Women in leadership and
networking
Prof Wangari Mwai (PhD, EMBA,OGW)
Director ACTIL K.U
03/07/2014 Women and resistance to change Dr. Hellen Oduk.
08/07/2014 Let’s talk about “me” Mrs.Jecinta Wanjiku.
10/07/2014 Competitive Career Woman Mercy Njoroge
15/07/2014 Network with me (The skills) Violette Wambua,
CEO and Founder,

7. Inspired by the Proverbs 31, Virtuous woman
Networking in Heels.
17/07/2014 Networking session with all the
mentors.
25/07/2014 Graduation, Certification and
Adjournment Ceremony.
Way forward upon Training and Interaction
The students who shall have participated in the intensive interaction and the training with the
established women will have the obligation to act as ambassadors of the project and the means
through which other young ladies will be reached. They will therefore be expected to
recommend Primary and Secondary Schools of their choices where they will mentor other young
girls regarding the project and nurturing leadership at an early age. The student mentors will also
remain to be mentees of the original Career and Achieving women.
If implemented, the Project will be able to achieve:
(i) The Student Mentees will be able to get a firsthand leadership and empowerment
experience from the Prominent Personalities-this will influence them to rise up to the
occasion.
(ii) The Student mentees will be able to pass the same leadership admirations to the
young girls in primary and Secondary Schools, thereby influencing their thoughts
towards women empowerment early enough.
(iii) The young girls in primary and Secondary schools will be able to have someone
[student mentees in this case], to look up to and share their experience. Such platform
is likely to shape them and increase their need to join their mentees [in institutions of
higher learning] hence accomplishing the first step to empowerment-education
(iv) The Personalities will be encouraged to become life mentors of the students.
(v) Overally, the project will ensure there is a chain of mentoring process for young girls
to ensure the achievement of their objectives and the overall fulfillment of women
goal.

8. Inspired by the Proverbs 31, Virtuous woman
GENDER IDENTITY AND AWARENESS
Above is the first session, Gender Identity and Awareness. We used art as a form of expression.
The ladies were asked to depict their role in a community.
This will be used to evaluate their growth while in the program.

9. Inspired by the Proverbs 31, Virtuous woman