Gender Promotion Rates on Diplomatic Services of Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs in Nairobi, Kenya

ABSTRACT; The study examined the effect of gender promotion rates on diplomatic service of the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Kenya. The study followed a mixed methods approach and used the embedded mixed methods research design. The parent population was 310 subjects from which 175 elements were selected. These included Ministry’s officials such as senior officials and policymakers, Human Resources Department officials, Gender Equality Officers, Diplomatic Staff and other support staff both male and female diplomatic staff at various levels. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires while interviews and document review were adopted for qualitative data collection. The study findings indicated a strong positive correlation between gender promotion rates and the effectiveness of diplomatic services within the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs in Nairobi, Kenya, as reflected by a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.907. This high correlation suggests that advancements in gender promotion rates are closely linked to improvements in the quality of diplomatic services offered by the Ministry. The statistical significance of 0.000 (p < 0.01) further confirms that this correlation is unlikely to be the result of random variation, thereby affirming the reliability of the relationship observed. A strong correlation indicates that nurturing a gender-inclusive environment, where promotions are fairly distributed among individuals regardless of gender, can significantly enhance the Ministry’s diplomatic effectiveness. It was concluded that the low gender promotion in leadership positions minimized the effectiveness of diplomatic services within the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs in Nairobi, Kenya. The study emphasized the need for the ministry to establish transparent and equitable promotion criteria that prioritize merit while considering gender equity

KEYWORDS : Gender Promotion rate to Leadership Positions, Diplomatic Services