Challenges in Gender Mainstreaming in the Management of Water at the Bridge Water Project in Kakamega County, Kenya
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Date
2015-05
Authors
Mwambu, Brian
Kimani, Elishiba
Maina, Lucy
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Merit Research Journals
Abstract
Water is an important natural resource in the lives of all human beings.
Women and men have different roles and experiences affecting perceptions
and use of natural resources including water. It is thus important that men
and women be equally involved in its management so as to effectively and
equitably address their needs, concerns and the distribution of accrued
benefits. This study sought to establish water uses and identify challenges
in mainstreaming gender in the management of the Bridge Water Supply
Project. The mandate of the project was to drill boreholes for domestic and
institutional use, through funding from donors and the local community. The
study focused on the Bridge Water Project which had drilled 123 boreholes
for use in households, learning and religious institutions in Kakamega
County. The study was a case study guided by the Gender Planning
Framework developed by Caroline Moser in 1980. 10% samples of 13 out of
the 123 committees that manage the boreholes were randomly selected as
respondents to the study. They include 5 household committees, 6 learning
and 2 committees from religious institutions. Key informants were heads of
selected institutions and the chief of the location where the study was
undertaken. The instruments used to collect data were Questionnaires,
Focused Group Discussion, Interview Schedule and Observation. Data
collected was cross-tabulated for qualitative analysis. The study established
that women were discriminated against in terms of access to water
management committee positions in relation to utilization of water as a
resource. Water supplied by the Bridge Project is predominantly utilized by
women in learning institutions followed by households and lastly by
religious institutions. Lack of awareness on the affirmative action policy by
members of the project disadvantaged women to ascend into leadership
roles. Other determinants were associating women to the gender assigned
roles, low level of awareness on gender mainstreaming by the project
members, low turnout and inconsistency of participation by women during
the project
Description
A Research Article in the Merit Research Journal of Art, Social Science and Humanities
Keywords
Challenges, Committees, Gender Mainstreaming, Kakamega, Kenya, Management, Water
Citation
Brian Mwambu, Elishiba Kimani, Lucy Maina. (2015) Challenges in gender mainstreaming in the management of water at the bridge water project in Kakamega County, Kenya. Merit Research Journal of Art, Social Science and Humanities (ISSN: 2350-2258) Vol. 3(4) pp. 046-054, May 2015. Available online http://www.meritresearchjournals.org/assh/index.htm