Coping Strategies Adopted by Kenyan Women Parliamentarians in Performance of Their Legislative Mandate

Abstract

The overarching objective of this study was to assess the coping strategies adopted by Kenyan women parliamentarians in performance of their legislative mandate. The specific objectives the study were to examine the role of women parliamentary caucuses in enhancing their participation and delivery of their mandate; to establish the influence of access to affirmative action funds in performance of women parliamentarian’s duties and to examine the role of women’s leadership in parliamentary committees. The study used a cross-sectional exploratory study using qualitative data collection methods. The study population consisted of 30 women parliamentarians (members of the National Assembly) from the 11th and 12th parliamentary sessions. Data was collected through in-depth interviews as well as through key informant interviews with five informants. The findings indicate that the caucuses such as KEWOPA plays a crucial role in enhancing women parliamentarians' participation and mandate delivery in Kenya. Equally, access to affirmative action funds, like the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), significantly impacts the performance of women parliamentarians' duties, notably in representation, legislation, and oversight. It was noted that women's leadership in parliamentary committees substantially influences the performance of women parliamentarians' duties in Kenya. The study concludes that to foster women's leadership, continued focus on mentorship, capacity-building initiatives, and providing sufficient resources is critical. The study recommends for the strengthening of KEWOPA, enhancement of affirmative action funds and robust support of women's leadership in parliamentary committees.