Influence of gender based organizations on promotion of boy-child education in Lurambi sub-county, Kakamega county, Kenya

Abstract

Gender Based Organizations, over the years, have provided strategies to address problems that are related to gender issues in the society. However, the meaning of the word ‘gender’ has been misinterpreted as only female due to the constant campaigns that give attention to the needs of the girlchild, hence leaving the boy-child’s needs unattended. This research therefore studied the influence of gender based organizations in promotion of boy-child education in Lurambi Sub-county of Kakamega County. The study focused on the following objectives; to determine the extent to which funding mechanisms of gender based organizations influence promotion of boy-child education in Kenya; to establish the extent to which the organizational policy of gender based organizations influence promotion of boy-child education in Kenya; to assess the extent to which community cultural aspects influence gender based organizations on promotion of boy-child education in Kenya and to examine the extent to which the operating environment of gender based organizations influence promotion of boychild education in Kenya. The target population for the study was 320 and the sample size 175. The study employed the descriptive type of research design and the data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedules. It was then analyzed using frequency percentages and cross tabulation by computer using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). 131 respondents participated in the study and their data was presented using tables. The study revealed that GBOs are key parties in ensuring that the promotion of boy-child education is felt in the community despite the financial and other challenges they face. Some of the findings drawn from the study include 87.8% of the GBOs stating that they support boy-child education, 52.7% alleging that their gender policy guides them in implementing their performance framework, 42.7% indicating that most families do not sponsor directly, their male children to school up to tertiary level of education due to high poverty levels and 29.8% providing information that most of their beneficiaries accessed their services through the application forms they distributed in the community. The study recommends that the GOK should enhance its involvement with GBOs to ensure that boy-child education is fully incorporated in its areas of planning and development and concludes that the boy-child needs should be equally addressed as the girl-child’s.