Influence Of Kcb 2Jiajiri Programme On Women Empowerment

Abstract

Socioeconomic problems facing women in developing countries has attracted the attention of corporates to develop programs aimed at empowering women. Over the last 20 years, there have been significant changes in the business sector’s relationship with the state and the local communities as business ethicists assert that normative obligations firms imposed by the social contract require constructive responses to the needs of various stakeholders. The proposed study assessed the influence of KCB 2Jiajiri programme strategies on women empowerment in the beauty and personal care sector in Nairobi, Kenya. The objectives were (1) to establish how training offered by KCB’s 2Jiajiri Programme influences women empowerment in the beauty and personal care sector in Nairobi, Kenya (2) to assess the extent to which KCB’s 2Jiajiri Programme funding strategy influences women empowerment in the beauty and personal care sector in Nairobi, Kenya, and (3) to evaluate how partnerships by KCB’s 2Jiajiri Programme influences women empowerment in the beauty and personal care sector in Nairobi, Kenya. A review of literature shows that training, funding, and partnership influence community service initiatives’ outcomes for women. The theoretical framework focused on the theories of training, theories of funding, and theories of partnerships to explain the influence of training, funding, and partnerships on women empowerment in the beauty and personal care sector in Nairobi, Kenya. From a positivism research philosophy, the researcher adopted a deductive research strategy. This study targeted approximately 3000women in the beauty and personal care business who received training under KCB 2Jiajiri program and 60 trainers. The study population also included the KCB 2Jiajiri program chairperson, as well as the senior management from three program partners supporting KCB 2Jiajiri program. A sample of 1000 respondents from KCB 2Jiajiri training attendance register responded to telephone administered questionnaires. Another sample of 20 KCB 2Jiajiri trainers participated in the study. In addition to that, four KCB program partners selected a representative from the management to respond to participate in the survey. A random sampling technique was used to select the women in the beauty and personal care business who received training under KCB 2Jiajiri program. Questionnaires were used to collect data. A pilot study was conducted using 10 Project Planning and Management students from the University of Nairobi, ODeL to ensure the questionnaires were valid and reliable. The data was analysed using quantitative techniques and tabulated. The study considered confidentiality of the respondents besides explaining to them the purpose of the proposed study. The results show that training, funding, and partnership contributed to empowerment of women in the beauty and personal care business who received training under KCB 2Jiajiri program. Analysis via Pearson’s chi-square shows a p=0.00, which is lower than the alpha value, demonstrate a relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The author concludes that KCB’s 2Jiajiri program strategies empower women in the beauty and personal care business in Nairobi, Kenya.