The Institute of Gender Diversity & Peace Studies (IGDPS) was formerly known as Institute for Gender Equity, Research & Development (IGERD). The institute was launched in 2003 to be an advocate and promoter of gender equity and to enhance social justice. Since its inception, the Institute was known as IGERD up until 2022 when its name changed to IGDPS following University rationalisation.

The Institute was envisaged in the Moi University Strategic Plan 2005-2015 in which the University committed itself to “enhance gender balance and equity in staff recruitment, promotion, student enrollment and in the overall University policy decision-making processes”.

The University’s commitment to gender equity was reinforced by the Government of Kenya’s National Gender Policy for Equality and Development (2006) and the Gender Policy in Education (2007).

Both policies are response to national and international concerns, particularly those that were highlighted in the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) (1984), the Beijing Platform for Action (1995), and Millennium Development Goals (2000).

Gender equality is also reinforced by The Kenya constitution 2010 (article 27) as well as the Sustainable Development Goal No. 5. `Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls'.