Aspects of women empowerment resulting from the ethical fashion business among maasai women of enduata nalepo self help group, ngong area of kajiado district

Abstract

The focus of the research was about women from Maasai community who are home based microproducers. The research study endeavored to investigate the impact registered through the involvement of women in Ethical Business with the help of ITCs Ethical Fashion Africa Initiative and through EFAL a company formed to manage the operations of ITCs Ethical Fashion Programs in Kenya. The group has 23 registered members with an outreach of over 300 women subcontracted during orders. The area of their operations stretches from Kahara in Ngong hills, Oklanyati, Kisamis and Olesokothe along Magadi road which is approximately 10 km2. The group was purposively selected. The respondents were stratified according to gender, relations such as marriage or having a child. The group was also sampled through systematic sampling procedures. A sample of 58% was drawn from about 120 households. A questionnaire was administered by the researcher to each respondent as the structured interview method was used to obtain responses from Key informants. (The men, children and representatives of the supportive institutions etc) The unit of observation was the household from where women involved in the project are drawn. The researcher used observation checklists to gather observe data. The collected data was analyzed by use of social statistical techniques, both inferential and descriptive. The findings were presented by use of table, graphs and pie charts. The study followed applied social research processes, which means that its findings went beyond mere exercise of exposing information to address specific concerns and offer recommendation of solutions to problem identified and areas of further study by the ethical business within the inclusive business model adopted by Ethical Fashion Africa program.