Change in Gender Roles as a Factor in Gender Participation and Empowerment in the Oil Mining Industry: a Case of Lokichar, Turkana County, Kenya

Abstract

The descriptive aspect of this study suggests that gender roles in the oil mining industry be revised. Women have the opportunity to be empowered and involved in the production and processing of oil. The main objective of the study was to ascertain how women's empowerment and involvement in Lokichar's oil mining have affected gender roles. The study's sub-objectives were to ascertain whether gender roles had altered as a result of oil mining and whether oil mining enterprises in Lokichar hired men and women equally. The study also examined how oil has impacted the means of sustenance for both men and women in Lokichar and tried to ascertain the extent to which attitudes toward gender equality and women's empowerment have altered as a result of oil mining. The concepts of gender relations, conflict, and innovation dissemination served as the foundation for this study. The target group comprised retirees between the ages of 15 and 64 as well as individuals who were currently working in the oil mining industry. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. Data was collected from a sample of 300 respondents who were selected through deliberate and systematic random selection methods. To supplement the questionnaires given to the sampled respondents, focus group discussions (FGD) and in-depth interviews were conducted to complete the survey data. The main key informants and focus group members were selected through the use of purposeful sampling, while household interviews with respondents who filled out questionnaires were conducted using systematic random sampling. Cross tabulation was performed on the responses to display the gender-based differences and the Chi-square of association used to test the hypotheses. Significant findings point to a relationship between equitable hiring practices and job possibilities for men and women in Lokichar's mining industry. Furthermore, there was a correlation between involvement in oil mining operations and a change in the means of subsistence. The ultimate determination was that there is no connection between involvement in oil mining activities and equitable job prospects for both genders in the mining industry. The other findings were that local males were more likely to be employed than local women, and that gender roles had changed, with men adopting jobs that were traditionally thought of as men's duties and women taking positions that were thought of as women's. One of the study's primary recommendations is to mainstream gender issues in legislative proposals, laws, and initiatives. The implementation of gender rules in this industry needs to be done with more goodwill, and it needs to be ensured that gender audits and Quality Assurance checks are conducted as necessary. Male participation in all issues of gender equality in the mining industry is more crucial. The results not only supplement the scant data on the Kenyan mining industry, but they also inform stakeholders (such as the government and oil firms) about how to develop and enact gender-sensitive policies that will promote female involvement and empowerment.