Perceived Factors Influencing the Participation of Women in Community Water Development Projects in Marginalized Areas of Kenya: a Case of Laikipia North Sub County.

Abstract

Participation of women in development projects entails their active contribution to project planning and decision-making for project implementation. Their participation in community development projects (CDPs) is based on culture, educational status, resources, and family obligations, among other factors. In Kenya, gender inequality has been an existing and growing phenomenon, and efforts to address it have faced many challenges. Despite the government and NGO's initiatives on the gender disparity problem and socio-cultural factors, women continue to encounter social, cultural, economic, and political challenges in their struggle towards participating in CDPS. Using the case of Laikipia North Sub-County, this study sought to identify the elements that inspire the active engagement of womankind in CDPs in Kenya's underprivileged communities based on their educational, economic, infrastructural, and the impact of social factors on their role in CDPs. A descriptive case study design was utilized and 8,252 members of the population was targeted, including 7,752 families, 30 management committee members, and 470 project members. Thus the sample size of 367 respondents were engaged. The study administered questionnaire to collect data which was pilot tested before use to ensure its validity and reliability using 15 respondents from Kirisia in Samburu County. With the guidance of trained research assistants, the researcher conducted the data collection exercise successfully. The collected questionnaires were sorted to determine their validity with the study before entering the data into SPSS 27 for analysis. Quantitative analysis in which descriptive and inferential statistics were computed was used. Presentation of data analyzed were done using frequency tables percentages, means, and standard deviations. The association of variables (hypothesis) was checked using correlation and regression analysis. The findings of the research will contribute significantly in decision making among the various stakeholders, including the research fraternity, policymakers in government, women in marginalized areas, and donors. The research findings will also help improve the welfare of women not only in marginalized areas in Kenya, but also in other parts of the world.