Impact of Women Empowerment on Household Wellbeing in Kenya
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Date
2022
Authors
Muthie, Joseline Nyawira
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Kenya has been investing in women empowerment over the last few decades in a bid to enjoy the
resultant benefits as documented in past research. A majority of women empowerment initiatives
are focused on easing the access to financial and educational support for women in the country,
which are believed to be key areas where women are most vulnerable. Unfortunately, little
empirical effort has been directed towards examining how these initiatives have affected the
livelihood of not only the targeted women but also the households that directly benefit from the
women. This study sought to explore the impact of women empowerment on household
wellbeing in Kenya. This aim was supplemented with three specific objectives, which include
exploring the accessibility of women empowerment to the target population in Kenya; to
determine the level of participation of women in the empowerment initiatives in Kenya and to
assess the effects of women empowerment on household wellbeing in Kenya. The study was
guided by a longitudinal research design and a quantitative research methodology. It was
conducted using published data that was sourced from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics
and organizations specializing in women empowerment such as the USAID and UNDP. The data
was then analyzed using different statistical tools including descriptive statistics, correlation
analysis, and regression analysis. It was observed that a unit increase in average income among
women increases household consumption by 3.5 percent. A unit increase in enrolment of women
to tertiary education increases household expenditure by 22.1 percent units. Lastly, a unit
increase in the investment made towards women empowerment activities increases household
expenditure by 3.32percent,. These independent variables could explain up to 73.00 percent of
the changes in household welfare based on the adjusted coefficient of determination. The study
recommends to policy makers to consider women empowerment as an avenue for boosting the
economy and clarifying the objectives of any women empowerment program.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the Department of Applied Economics in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Economics (Cooperation and Human Development) of Kenyatta University
Keywords
Women Empowerment, Household Wellbeing, Kenya