Assessment of the Roles Played by Men and Women in Peace Building among Communities in Tana River County, Kenya

Abstract

Increasing conflicts in many parts of the world are responsible for many losses of lives and destruction to property. Men and women have been cited as experiencing conflicts in unique, diverse and dissimilar ways. In Tana River County of Kenya, conflicts have persistently occurred among the Pokomo and Orma communities with no durable solutions. The study specifically assessed the roles played by men and women in peace building. The study was guided by social conflict theory. The study adopted descriptive research design. The target population was male and female heads of households; managers of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs); managers of Community Based Organizations (CBOs); youths and, administrative chiefs. The sample size was 384 comprising of 182 female and 202 male heads of households and 22 key informants selected randomly from NGOs, CBOs and area administrative units. The study used both probability and non-probability sampling techniques to select participants who responded to questionnaires, interview and focus group discussions. Expert judgment was employed to determine content validity of data collection tools, and reliability determined by test-retest method. Qualitative data was edited, coded and grouped into meaningful and relevant themes, categories and patterns and interpreted to give meaning. The study employed descriptive analysis of quantitative data, and presentation was done using frequencies, tables and charts. The study found out that women were not equally involved in peace building roles as the male counterparts. The study concluded that socially constructed ways of thinking and behavior in conflict management influence peace building processes among communities in Tana River County. The study recommends: riddance of patriarchy; involvement of both gender in peace building roles; and, embracing of a gendered approach to peace building