ABSTRACT

Women form an important part of the economic development matrix of nations and continue to lack access to and control over resources, the purpose of this research therefore was to identify and examine the factors influencing women participation in economic development projects in Kilome Constituency in Makueni County. This study was guided by the following objectives: To assess the influence of cultural practices on women participation on economic development projects in Kilome constituency, in Makueni county; to assess how gender suppression influence women participation on economic development projects in Kilome constituency, in Makueni county; To determine how technological skills influence women participation on economic development projects in Kilome constituency, in Makueni county and to establish how levels of education influence women participation on economic development projects in Kilome constituency, in Makueni county. This study adopted descriptive survey design, with sample population being beneficiaries of the women enterprise fund and management of the fund in Kilome constituency in Makueni County in Kenya. A target population of 1550 consisting of women beneficiaries and fund managers who had attained legal age to undertake economic project (18 years and above) were considered for the research study. A sample size of 310 respondents was selected based on Krejcie and Morgan formula. Cluster sampling was utilized by selecting households from Kilome constituency and individual respondents picked using simple random sampling. Fund managers were picked from the Women enterprise fund using purposive sampling. Questionnaire and interview schedules were used as data collection instruments which were distributed and collected after being filled. Data from the questionnaires was then summarized, coded, tabulated and then analyzed. Editing was done to improve the quality of data for coding. Coded data was then entered into statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 22. It was established that; cultural practices; property ownership, early marriages influenced women involvement in economic projects while FGM and widow inheritance had minimal influence. Respondents indicated that they were being sidelined .Their ideas not taken into consideration and only a small % hold senior position in economic projects; technological skills; women had gained marketing skills over time, a moderate opinion generated on women management of their finances while they also actively seek leadership skills. Individual level of education contributed the level of position held, their performance in economic development projects. In conclusion the study recommends development of mechanisms and legislation to regulate socio-cultural factors; advocacy and championing for more women to take leadership positions and establishment of umbrella body to empower women to participate in economic development projects.

     Background to the Study

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

In all countries of the world, women’s participation in economic development projects is a global phenomenon that is discussed and analyzed. There is a big consideration across the world about the gains achieved by women in development (Mullins, 2016). Nevertheless, in the world today, there is still a disparity existing in the workplace among women and their male counterparts. According to Wilson (2014), it is clearly evident that in all the countries across the globe, there have been organizational barriers to advance towards involvement of women in development. Men and women were designated different roles among traditional societies around the world (Start, 2015).

With the emergence of industrialization and urbanization in Western Europe in the 18th century, there was a change from the traditional to the new mode of production. Accordingly, men traveled to towns in search of jobs in factories and urban centers while women were left to look after the children, the elderly and the sick back at home. Later, some women migrated to cities and served in different professions and roles that were perceived to be of less importance, less authority and less earnings. This segregation led to the Women’s Liberation Movement (WLM) in the 1960s. As a result of the movements, it was realized that if men and women were given equal opportunities, they could perform equally well (Nuwagaba, 2013). However, this realization was not practically implemented hence theoretical in nature.

Labosso (2014) points out that globally, women are an important part of the economic development matrix of nations. They generate ideas, show immense entrepreneurial skills, and form large part of the labour force. Mehtapet et al (2016) concurs, positing that women’s participation in development activities helps to uplifting the society, boosts economic development, empowerment and gender equality. However the number of women who are active in the global economy is still low, especially in the Middle East countries and this has been brought about by several socio-economic reasons.

Women and development matters have been featuring in the world agenda since the first women’s conference in Mexico which was held by the United Nations in 1975. On the basis of the study, women are usually unable to actively participate in the development projects. As a result, more women are illiterate, poor, do not receive adequate health care, are victims of violence such as rape, harassment and neglect, lack basic rights, discriminate against and experience other forms of inequity such that their status is below that of men and their condition is much worse than that of men. In real sense, there is a strong gap between men and women in the areas of education, health, jobs, legal affairs, leadership, empowerment and ownership of wealth. Women in Kenya are fortunate as their position and status has improved over time as a result of a national development policy that has brought benefits to all people regardless of gender (Boserup, Fei & Toulmin, 2016). However, there is still many more campaigns that need to be taken to make sure that women are in their rightful position and strategies that ought to be formulated to make sure that women are in a position to make a full contribution to economic development (World Bank report, 2009).

Since the past decade, women’s role has been evolving in the labour market from backbenchers to mainstream workers which anchor entire factories. Women particularly, in developing nations, make up a significant proportion of the total workforce, especially in the agricultural sector. They are a substantial economic resource because of this important role.

Patriarchy issues, levels of education, political representation and cultural factors such as gender stereotypes are a cumbersome growth barrier facing women running business, moreso those working in male-dominated industry (Farah 2014). Also, women have trouble accessing the necessary financing to start a business, lack guidance and start-up knowledge to create a business plan. They often have fewer advisers and mentors to help them.

To increase family incomes levels, women have started participating in raising cattle, poultry and doing subsistence farming in order to meet their family’s demand for proper health and wellbeing. Women in rural areas also make baskets for storing farm products and different types of quilts all for extra income to support their families in times of financial crises. Women who engage in these kind of activities have been termed as ‘marginalized, informal, peripheral, black economy workers and unrecognized to imply

that they are insignificant and inferior while in real sense, they are making a great impact to the economy at large (Muller 2015).

Kilome constituency consists of high numbers of women who are in the rural areas and are not economically empowered. With the introduction of Women Entreprise fund these women need to be active participants of economic development projects. Many factors influence this kind of behavior hence the need of the study to understand factors influencing women participation in economic development projects.

The Women Enterprise Fund

Women Enterprise Fund was registered in 2006 by the Kenyan government and launched officially in 2007 with the primary goal of empowering women economically. WEF loans touch target borrowers through partner financial intermediaries and directly through the Constituency Women Enterprise Scheme (CWES) (MGCSD, 2016). The fund is structured to help the government to achieve the 3rd MDG on “Gender equality and empowerment of women’.’ As a flagship project under the Social Pillar of Vision 2030, the WEF is expected to play a catalytic role in incorporating women into the financial services sector (Ibid).

The Government created Women Enterprise Fund in order to assist women entrepreneurs with micro credit to expand operations in their enterprises and also to create more opportunities for startup and employment in the informal sector. Women Enterprise Fund is mandated to provide money for on-lending to women enterprises through financial institutions and directly to women through CWES and to facilitate investment in commercial infrastructure beneficial to women enterprises such as business markets and business incubators. WEF supports women oriented micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMs) to strengthen linkages with large organizations and facilitates local and international marketing of products made by business women. Women Enterprise Fund also supports capacity building of the beneficiaries of the fund and their institutions (MGCSD, 2016).

Women Enterprise Fund has two types of loans namely Jiimarishe loan and Tuinuke loan Jiimarishe loan is the digital-lending component of the Fund which works through financial intermediaries such as banks, Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs), Faith Based

Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs). Women have direct access to funds either as individuals or as women-owned enterprises or other organized bodies, such as women’s organizations and women-owned enterprises. Tuinuke Loan is a loan commodity at the level of the electoral district, otherwise known as Constituency Women Enterprise Scheme (CWES) given to registered women groups with a vision of expanding or starting new venture.

Women Enterprise Fund has reported achievements, such as the disbursement of Ksh 801 million via financial institutions to more than 25,000 business women across the country, and Ksh 289 million via CWES to all counties, benefiting 180,900 individual women organized in self-help groups (MGCSD, 2016). Other accomplishments also include training of the WEF Divisional Constituency Committees, the development and start-up of female entrepreneurship, creation of new jobs for themselves, families and other Kenyans, and the creation of an operational secretariat with its own staff (Ibid). Women Enterprise Fund faces constraints such as low financial literacy among women, slow creation of awareness, negative perceptions like that the fund is a grant or loan, myths about borrowing and the existing economic slowdown (MGCSD, 2016).

In addition, the efforts of the Women Enterprise Fund board are impeded by low public awareness despite WEF’s existence since 2015 and politics through a misconception on the fund’s rationale that it is a political fund. For this reason, the fund needs to be insulated from politics. Another drawback facing the board comes in the form of the costs of accessing the loans and repayments as exhibited by women travelling long distances to access information and the mediums of loan disbursement. Other constraints which face women entrepreneurs are complaints of stringent conditions by some financial intermediary partners, drought and insecurity for majority of rural women beneficiaries practicing subsistence agriculture. It is therefore important to find ways to improve use of farm inputs to increase yields in order to promote food security and improve livelihoods (MGCSD, 2016).

     Statement of the Problem

Women in Makueni County do not actively participate in economic development projects; however few studies have examined factors that affect their participation. For them to

participate they require finance, capacity building, time, networking, training, technical knowhow education, if these are missing it may be difficult for them to take an active role in economic development projects.

Several studies have been done on women participation in various areas for instance: Obiero (2016) studied the gender factor, (Kisiang’ani, 2017) studied women participation in project planning and implementation through a case study of Tanzania Social Action Fund TASAF a program in the Rufiji district in Tanzania. Although these studies are important, they are limited in explaining factors influencing women involvement in economic development projects in Makueni county specifically Kilome constituency. Economic development projects are currently facing challenges of women having to participate in decision making (Kurebwa 2017).

The influence of women participation in economic development projects is a global challenge which is being studied, discussed and analyzed around the world. Globally, a review of women progress achieved in the community development is of great concern (Mullins, 2016). However, there is still a gap in the world today between women and their male counterparts in the place of work. According to Wilson (2015), it is apparent that women participation in economic development projects has encountered obstacles at the institutional level worldwide. Among traditional societies, men and women performed different roles. Women’s status has deteriorated, and they have less power over their property, money, other resources, and even involvement in community economic activities (World Bank, 2010).

Steinem (2014) on his part noted that the barrier to women rightfully occupying their position in management or owning business are still limited and, some would argue of its slow growth. Many institutions, including community-based groups, face gender discrimination at the workplace. However, the degree to which various factors have an effect on women’s involvement in various development activities has not been studied.

In Kilome constituency in Makueni County, women form the higher population. In spite of this fact, they face the huge barrier of participation in economic development projects as a result of cultural practices, gender suppression, technological skills and levels of

education. Many economic development projects at the constituency are run and managed mostly by male and the thought of involving women is not highly considered.

This study therefore seeks to fill the research gap through a study of factors influencing women participation in economic development projects in Kilome constituency in Makueni County.