A preliminary survey of the avenues for and contraints on women in the development process in Kenya

This paper attempts to review the social conditions of women in Kenya with specific reference to the position of women in the rural areas. The main purpose of the paper is to present information on factors which facilitate the participation of women in the national economy and others which act as constraints on their full involvement in development in Kenya. Of special significance are levels of literacy and access to educational facilities and the degree to which these constrain women's entry into formal employment; the legal position of women with regard to marriage, divorce and land holding and how this affects the management of resources at the farm level; government assistance for women; and questions concerning the use of time by rural women. The findings emerging from this research, as well as from secondary source material, suggest that the present conditions of rural women are inadequate. In the face of a narrowing land base and a rising population, women in the rural areas of Kenya have to be enabled through legislation, education and training to channel their potential into development efforts more effectively. They form a majority in the rural areas and are responsible for most of the agricultural work. The success of agricultural improvement in the rural areas requires that women be educated, that certain institutional structures be relaxed which have discouraged the full involvement of women in rural change and that women achieve recognition for the part they have played so far

Women in rural development: report of a discussion group

This paper was prepared as the report of a discussion group participating in the Conference on Assembling and Collecting Data on the Participation of Women in Kenyan Society, held at the Nairobi School on August 11 to 15, 1975. It was agreed that the search for improvements in agriculture and in extension to rural women must take into account the complexity of rural society, the diverse activities of rural residents and the variety of their economic and nutritional needs. The principal concern of the group was to underscore the need for systematic and standardised collection of data which will more genuinely reflect women's participation in the economic activities which are the principal target of rural development. Five priority areas were identified in which the need for greater information on the role of women is especially urgent: accurate representation of the household unit, wage differentials, and their consequences for rural incomes, the sociological context of communal labour activities, access to extension and credit, and diversification and upgrading of non-farm activities. Finally, the need for an action-oriented research programme was stressed, in which work is carried out on several levels, coordinated and presented to a wide audience

The women's group programme in the S.R.D.P.

This paper is based primarily on research carried out as part of the Second Overall Evaluation of the Special Rural Development Programme conducted by the Institute for Development Studies in 1975. The paper begins with a general description and evaluation of the Women's Group Programme and then presents case studies of the six S.R.D.P. areas: Kapenguria, Kwale, Mbere, Migori/Kuria, Tetu and Vihiga/Hamisi. Eor each area, a brief description is given of the women who attended the leaders training courses offered as part of the Programme. The courses themselves are also described. Membership figures are given for the women's groups in the six areas, as well as brief accounts of group activities and plans. Finally, the role of local government officers is described - the frequency of contacts, the specific offices and ministries involved, and the nature of the assistance given. In general, the Women's Group Programme i s found to be a successful effort in the field of rural development which should be continued and expanded. A number of recommendations are made for improvement, both of the Programme in general and in specific S.R.D.P. areas. The broad participation and increased cooperation of a number of ministries and other agencies is recommended, both at the national level and in the field. It is also suggested that the objectives and curricula of the courses for women's leaders be brought more sharply into focus. Emphasis should also be placed on new approaches to income generation for women's groups, in addition to the traditional focus on family welfare and handicrafts. (I The general section of this paper appeared as Chapter Fifteen of I.D.S. Occasional Paper No. 12, and the case studies first appeared as I.D.S. Working Papers Nos. 231 - 236