| dc.description.abstract | Abstract
This study was conducted to find out the structural challenges women face in political
governance in Kenya. This is due to the under representation of women in parliament and
having not yet attained the 30% critical mass threshold representation for decision
making.
The objectives of the study were to find out how the socio-cultural factors affect
women's' participation in politics; to examine the socio-economic factors and their effect
on women's participation in politics; to examine the level of education and women
participation in politics; and to recommend strategies for women's active participation in
politics.
The Feminist theory was used to guide this study. The core argument of the study was
that patriarchal structures in society contribute to women's subordination and gendered
roles which are socially constructed determine what men and women become in life.
The research utilized both pnmary and secondary data collection techniques. In the
former, it involved the use of a questionnaire with the interview guide while the latter
consisted of documentary sources. A target population of five formed the sample size and
simple random sampling design was used. Data collected was analyzed using qualitative
approaches. The key findings from the study were: socio-cultural factors which include
beliefs, attitudes, multiple roles/responsibilities, marital status and intimidation/violence
affect women participation in politics. Socio-economic factors like inadequate finances,
limited access and control over resources, occupation and property inheritance affect
women's participation in politics and also the level of education affect women's political
participation. The study concluded that socio-cultural, socio-economic factors and the
level of education affect women's participation in politics. There is therefore, need for
civic education, economic empowerment of women and increased levels of education for
increased women political participation. | en_US |
