Factors influencing women's land ownership in Kombewa Division, Kisumu West District, Kenya

Abstract

Land is close to life and it yields its benefits in an endless flow. In many Latin American countries including Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru, inheritance is the most important medium through which women become independent land owners. In some parts of Central, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, family land is issued by government according to the number of family members, but titled and registered only in the name of the head of household. Women's land ownership in Asia is heavily influenced by religion and custom. In Tanzania, a husband may have several wives, yet must provide farmland to each wife. In Kenya women tend to own moveable property or chattels but not land. Most women have access/possession of land but do not legally own it.

The problem of women's lack of land ownership is that it denies them their right to utilize the socio-economic benefits of land ownership and to secure their livelihoods and thus trapping them in a vicious cycle of poverty. Despite the constitution of Kenya being gender neutral, it should be noted that it has not facilitated women land ownership. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore factors that influenced women's land ownership in Kombewa Division, Kisumu West District, Kenya.

The objectives for this study were; to assess the extent to which level of education influenced women's land ownership, to establish how level of income influenced women's land ownership, to investigate the extent to which inheritance influenced women's land ownership and to examine how marriage influenced women's land ownership. This study was inclined to the Feminist Economic Theory. Descriptive research design was adopted for this study. Simple random sampling was used in selecting 370 respondents from a universe of 17,844 women aged over 18 years. A total of 360 or 97% questionnaire return rate was realized. Descriptive stastics was the method used to analyze data by use of frequencies and percentages.

Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) was used as a tool to aid the analysis. The findings of this study indicated that tertiary level of education, level of income above Kshs 5,000 obtained through formal employment and marriage all positively influenced women's land ownership while inheritance negatively influenced women land ownership. This study made the following conclusions; no illiterate person can understand and demand her right to land ownership even if the right is secured under the constitution, women who earn over Kshs 5,000 per month are able to save over time and purchase land; inheritance is a cultural practice that curtail women's land ownership; most women marry to households that own land and therefore could assume land ownership upon marriage.

This study recommends that interventions that enhance transition for girls from secondary level of education to tertiary level should be designed and implemented. Also recommend is land administration policy that makes it mandatory for joint titling to land whether inherited or purchased by a couple upon marriage. Further research should be conducted to establish the definite relationship between high income level and women land ownership. Another research should be undertaken to establish how women participation in land administration policy in Kenya has impacted on women land ownership.