FACTORS INFLUENCING WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN THE POLICY PROCESSES IN KILIFI COUNTY, KENYA
FACTORS INFLUENCING WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN THE POLICY PROCESSES IN KILIFI COUNTY, KENYA
Inyingi Japheth Koome
Student, Master Of Public Policy and Administration Of Kenyatta University, Kenya
Wilson Muna
Lecturer, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Daniel Mange
Lecturer, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Women participation in policy processes in Kenya is still far below the minimum one third public service requirement of Article 27(3) of the Constitution of Kenya. The study stemmed out of the need to assess factors affecting women participation in policy processes in Kenya, with a particular focus on Kilifi County. The proposal observed that women are central to the development process and their participation in policy processes was critical to unlocking the development potential of the nation. There was need to understand why despite subscribing and committing to international and local legal requirements, Kenya still lagged behind in women participation in policy processes. The study employed a descriptive study design and targeted women in the Kilifi County Government with a view to expose the challenges they faced in the participation of policy processes. The target population (N) was all 1828 women employees of the Kilifi County Government. Using a simple random sampling technique, a representative sample of sample 399.78 (n) was drawn from the population (N). The study collected data using other administered questionnaires that was preceded by a pre-test among five select women employees. Then code the questionnaire and prepare it for data entry and analysis. Numerical values are assigned to the responses on the Likert scale to make quantitative analysis possible. The answer forms a topic of analysis that is consistent with the variables and objectives of the investigation. The qualitative data obtained from the open project were also analyzed on the subject. The results of the analysis data are presented in the form of tables, bar graphs and pie charts. Findings indicate that a majority of respondents (47.8 %) had not participated in policy making processes. While the majority of women 72.5% disagreed that power and authority divinely belonged to men, a significant number (68.1%) were of the opinion that men and women were not treated equally. Opinion was however divided on whether the women felt that their voices counted when it came to policy making processes. An equal number 45.4% were in agreement and disagreement at the same. The study recommended among others that the Kilifi County Government should seek to empower more women to participate in policy processes in line with the affirmative action policies of the government. The government should also ensure that more women were mainstreamed in policy processes through recruitment, awareness creation and pursuit of policies that sought to equip women to take up leadership challenges. Since, the power imbalance in the County was too pronounced; the County government can take deliberate action to ensure that it develops a strategy that will oversee more women mainstreamed even without having to wait for the national assembly to adopt the two thirds gender rule.
