Several county governments are also stepping in, with initiatives like:
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The Kajiado Culture and Heritage Policy
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Kakamega County Sector Plan for Social Protection, Culture, and Recreation (2023-2032)
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Makueni County Arts, Culture, and Heritage Policy (2022)
In parallel, Kenya’s creative economy is evolving rapidly, with the Draft Creative Economy Policy and the Creative Industries Bill (2023) aiming to leverage emerging technologies for the advancement of Kenyan culture.
Kenya’s strong connectivity infrastructure has fueled digital innovation in cultural preservation. Several projects are leveraging technology to safeguard Kenya’s cultural heritage, including:
The Zamani Project – Digitizing and preserving African historical sites through 3D virtual reality models. Sites archived include:
Global Agenda for Gender Towards MONDIACULT 2025
As MONDIACULT 2025 approaches, Ms. Ummi Bashir emphasized the importance of:
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Celebrating progress on SDGs
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Advocating for a standalone Gender Goal
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Ensuring gender is integrated across all aspects of cultural policy
UNESCO has consistently documented and supported cultural policy development, revealing persistent structural inequalities despite women comprising nearly 50% of cultural occupations. Women remain underrepresented or stereotyped in cultural content and practices.
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Only 31% of executive management positions in arts, entertainment, and recreation are held by women.
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Only 25% of World Heritage site managers are women.
Women are severely underrepresented in creative industries, especially those linked to new technologies. -
74% of violations against women artists and artworks depicting women involve censorship.
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Women artists face threats not only for their work but also for their opinions, attire, and activism. Many are scaling back their online presence due to abuse and self-censorship.
The situation worsens in crisis and emergency contexts, where women face higher safety risks than their male counterparts, requiring tailored approaches.
Against these challenges, UNESCO remains committed to gender equality in the cultural sector through its normative instruments, funding mechanisms, and advocacy actions. Recognized in the United Nations’ Pact for the Future (2024), culture plays a key role in economic development, social progress, and peacebuilding.
Marking 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 2025 presents a critical opportunity to advance gender equality in cultural policies. With evidence-backed advocacy and targeted research, UNESCO and its Member States continue working toward a more inclusive and equitable cultural sector.
With the UNESCO MONDIACULT 2025 Conference on the horizon, these discussions lay the groundwork for a global agenda that bridges cultural heritage, gender equality, and technological advancement as Ministers of Culture will meet again to share their vision of the future of culture policies.
