Browsing by Author "Iminza, Florence"

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    Participation of women in the promotion of christian muslim dialogue with reference to umbrella religious organizations in Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2025-03) Iminza, Florence
    This study assessed the participation of women in the promotion of Christian-Muslim dialogue with reference to umbrella religious organizations in Kenya. The study is important due to the weakening relations between Christians and Muslims. Faith communities are striving to bring harmony through umbrella religious organizations such as the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Interreligious Council of Kenya (IRCK) and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM). However, the lacuna of women is evident in Christian-Muslim dialogue. This is in spite of the women’s potential to dialogue. Informal Christian-Muslim dialogue tends to appeal to women. However, these are not well organized. As a result, women’s potentials in Christian-Muslim dialogue are under-utilized. This study sought to examine the framework for women participation in the promotion of Christian-Muslim dialogue; their role; the impact and challenges of women participation in promotion of Christian-Muslim dialogue in Kenya. The Standpoint theory in gender studies guided the study. This theory values the social positioning (standing) and the experiences of women and minorities, as a source of knowledge. The theory helped the study to bring women from the periphery to the centre of ChristianMuslim dialogue, so that the women may provide new nuances from their perspectives. The conceptual framework showed that novel scholarship has paid little attention to the subject matter of the participation of women in the promotion of Christian-Muslim dialogue. The study used descriptive survey design with a mixed methodological approach which was qualitative and quantitative. Purposive sampling was used to select umbrella religious organizations while saturated sampling technique was used to select top Christian and Muslim leaders for Key Informants Interviews. Simple random sampling was used to select 10% of the middle-level leaders for the administration of questionnaires. To collect primary data, questionnaires and interview guides were used. Likert scale tools were used to collect data on women perspectives, their attitudes and behaviour. Library research corroborated the information obtained from the field. The data collected was collated and organized according to research objectives. Quantitative data was analysed using a statistical package for social sciences (IBM SPSS_20). Descriptive statistics were used to interpret data. Qualitative data was transcribed, coded, triangulated and analysed according to research objectives. Key findings showed that 81.6% participation of women in the promotion of Christian-Muslim dialogue was at the informal levels of community engagements. Most (84.2%) of formal dialogues in Kenya were based on civic or government-related functions with the least women participation. The religious factor in Christian-Muslim dialogue was more definitive than it was functional. The study provided an in-depth analysis of women participation in the promotion of Christian-Muslim dialogue which may be utilized by interfaith practitioners to harness women's potential and hence, increase the impact of Christian-Muslim dialogue. The study recommended a comparative study of women in Christianity and Islam in their participation in the promotion of Christian-Muslim dialogue.