Participatory Women Empowerment: Increased Rural Agricultural Productivity toward Sustainable Development in Kenya
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Date
2017
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Africa International Journal of Management Education and Governance (AIJMEG)
Abstract
Participation of all rural community members is important in promoting agricultural productivity toward sustainable development. Women empowerment is necessary to enable them participate in promoting increased agricultural productivity and sustainable food security. Empowered women have equal control of decision making, taking responsibility, holding different social actors accountable, having access to resources for food production, and control over agricultural produce to improve the welfare of the household and community members. However, rural women mostly face disempowering forces from the dominant paternalistic indigenous African culture. The study used desktop research method to assess the dynamics of participatory empowerment of rural women to increase agricultural productivity in the theoretical basis of gender and sustainable development in Kenya. The study found that women in rural areas work very hard in the labor intensive agricultural production, but have very law control over how the crop produce is utilized. Men tend to dominate decision making about the agricultural produce, mostly characterized by selling food produce soon after harvesting. This leaves the household without enough food to last until the next crop is harvested. The conclusion was that there was need for community education through rights-based approach to overcome the socio-cultural challenges of indigenous paternalistic culture common in the rural communities, and achieve gender integration in sustainable development. The study recommended further research and action that could empower rural women to participate in increasing agricultural productivity with gender equality. Rural women need to be enabled to take active role in determining the appropriate utilization of the crop produce to improve the well being of rural vulnerable households toward sustainable development.
Description
Journal Article
Keywords
Women Empowerment, Participatory, Gender Integration, Poverty, Sustainable Development
Citation
Mogute M. & Limbitu J. M. (2017): Participatory Women Empowerment: Increased Rural Agricultural Productivity toward Sustainable Development in Kenya.: Africa International Journal of Management Education and Governance (AIJMEG).