The role of rural women in water resource management in semi-arid lands : the case of Kajiado district, of Kenya

Abstract

The thesis highlights the role of rural women in the management of water resources in Kajiado district. The study intended to find out the relationship between the socio-economic status (education, income and family size) of rural women and water management in the semi arid lands of Kajiado district. The study was also designed to identify the problems rural women face in the process of managing their water resources and the priority they give to water management activities.

Several methods were used in the study to come up with the required data. A household survey was carried out with the use of interview schedules and observation record sheets. Random and cluster sampling were used to come up with the required sample. The type of data collected included water management practices employed. These included the type of storage facilities used, whether the respondents harvested rainwater and whether they recycled their wastewater. Information on the education and income levels, family size, problems faced by rural women in the process of managing their water resources and priority rural women give to water management activities was also collected. Data was analyzed using cross tabulations, logistic regression, log linear modeling, percentages and means. The findings showed that there is a relationship between education level and water management. The data collected did not fully show whether there is a relationship between income level and water management. There is no relationship between water management and family size. The results also showed that rural women experience many problems in the process of managing their water resources and they give water management first priority.

The study focused on rural women because of their direct and constant interaction with the environment. Kajiado district was chosen because of the unreliable and low rainfall, and thus the need to conserve the scarce resource effectively.