UCM launches new project to promote gender equality in the African region

Published: 27.8.2025

These activities are part of the multilateral Gender Equality Plans (GEP) project, which is part of the Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) program supported by the European Union.

The aim of the GEP project is to strengthen gender equality at Kenyan universities. The project team will develop and implement comprehensive gender equality policies and plans based on a participatory approach. Academic and administrative staff, students, and other stakeholders will be involved in the process.

The main activities include:

• assessment of the current state of gender equality at universities,

• identification of gaps and challenges,

• joint development of tailored GEPs in line with international standards and local context,

• capacity building through training and educational platforms,

• monitoring and evaluation to ensure sustainability and effectiveness.

Long-term cooperation in Kenya

"This project is not only proof of our long-term cooperation with Mount Kenya University, but also an opportunity for UCM to contribute to solving societal challenges in a global context," said UCM Rector Prof. Mgr. Katarína Slobodová Nováková, PhD. The cooperation between UCM and Mount Kenya University has been developing for several years through mobility, research projects, and mutual visits. Most recently, a delegation from St. Cyril and Methodius University in Trnava, led by its rector, visited Kenya at the end of July. The teachers visited the Kenyan partner institution Mount Kenya University in Nairobi and Mombasa.

EU support

The project will last three years with a budget of almost €400,000 and will involve seven universities from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Kenya. The European Union's CBHE program supports the modernization, quality, and adaptability of higher education in countries outside the EU.