Women empowerment and its influence on the community development projects in marginalized regions in Kenya: a case study of Tana river county.

Abstract

Studies have shown that despite the fact that women empowerment is directly proportional to their participation in community development and the general performance of community development projects, little is still being done to empower these women in the society. In countries where women are empowered, they have been said to be very instrumental in implementing a number of development projects. It is in this realization that this study was carried. The study sought to examine the influence women empowerment on the implementation of community development projects in marginalized regions in Kenya. This study was guided by the following four objectives that included: to examine the extent to which labour providence capacity by women influences the implementation community development projects in marginalized regions in Kenya; to determine the extent to which decision making capacity by women influence the implementation community development projects in marginalized regions in Kenya; to examine the extent to which asset creation capacity by women influences the implementation community development projects in marginalized regions in Kenya; and to examine the extent to which peace building capacity by women influences the implementation community development projects in marginalized regions in Kenya. This study adopted a descriptive case study design. The total target population of the study comprised of 47,425 respondents. The total sample population was 392 respondents. The main tool of primary data collection was the use of a questionnaire. The received questionnaires were sorted to check for completeness and relevance in the study. Quantitative analysis was employed both descriptive and inferential statistics. The data was then presented by use of frequency tables representing the means, standard deviations, and percentages. The relationship between the variables (hypothesis) was tested by use of the chi-square formula. From the results: over 95% of the respondents who made the majority supported the idea that labour providence capacity by women influences the implementation of community development projects. Over 80% of the respondents who made the majority supported the idea that decision making capacity by women influences the implementation of community development projects. Over 70% of the respondents who made the majority supported the idea that asset creation capacity by women influences the implementation of community development projects. Over 95% of the respondents who made the majority supported the idea that peace building capacity by women influences the implementation of community development projects. The researcher recommended that: Women should be considered as either skilled or non-skilled employees at all the steps of the project cycle; should also be involved in all the levels of projects decision making irrespective of their education background or any other socio-cultural classification factor; women also should be allowed to have rights and access to both communal and individual properties: Finally, women should be involved in all the strategies that are aimed at creating peace, resolving conflicts and ensuring reconciliation.