 Sustainable
Agriculture Extension Manual
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Gender and development in Kenya
This case study highlights the role of women in development and the gender-based barriers that frustrate sustainable development efforts.
Katheka is a semi-arid area
about 85 km from Nairobi and 15 km from the
market town of Tala. It has thin, sandy, fragile
soils on steep, easily eroded slopes. The natural
vegetation is scrub, with acacia and coarse
grass.
The area receives about 600-800 mm of rain per
year. Drought is common, and the community sees
water shortages as its number-one problem. Access
to water is a gender issue because women alone
are responsible for fetching water. During the
dry season, it takes women no less than 5 hours
to bring water home. A closer source of water
would free up a lot of their time for other
work.
The main crops are pigeonpeas, maize and beans. Coffee, the only cash crop, has not done well. Recently, attempts have been made to grow fruit for commercial purposes.
Despite great efforts to conserve natural resources, life is precarious, and Katheka's 2,800 people (1989 census) work hard to survive. Many men spend up to 7 months working away from home to earn money. Therefore, it is mainly the women who face the daily challenges of village life.
Gender study approach
Although poverty, poor infrastructure and low farm productivity had previously been identified as development challenges in Katheka, gender issues had not been studied in detail. A study was therefore undertaken in 1993 by a team who had previously worked in the area, so the area was not new to them. After the local chiefs had granted permission for the study, the team met with the villagers to explain the work process. They conducted a comprehensive needs assessment using participatory rural appraisal methods to highlight the gender aspects of the situation. The results of the analysis were presented to the community for discussion and endorsement. The final stage was to develop recommendations for action.
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Study results
Similar to findings in Ghana, Tanzania and other parts of Africa, the study revealed that women are almost wholly responsible for "reproductive" work, are substantially involved in "productive" and "community" work, but have little control over the necessary resources (see the section on Gender and development for definitions of these terms). Similarly, women also have limited control over the benefits of their work. The disparity between their responsibilities and control frustrates individuals and slows down development efforts.
Although the study did not benefit the communities directly, it made them aware of the inequitable distribution of work and resources, and the impact this has on development. During the field work, it became clear that men were not consciously aware of women's heavy workload. Their realizing this was a first step toward bringing about social change.
Division of labour
Generally, women worked 13-16 hours a day, compared to about 6 hours for the men.
Reproductive work
Women are overwhelmingly responsible for this work, (cooking, fetching water, etc.). Boys between 5 and 17 years also contribute, as do men from wealthier households.
Productive work 
Both men and women are heavily involved in productive work. Women undertake all agricultural tasks except spraying.
Community work
The Katheka community has a long history of community work, possibly because of the fragile environment and the high levels of poverty—both of which demand a supportive community. Both men and women are involved in community work, but women appear to be more committed and consistent than men.
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Access and control
Both men and women have access to most of the resources in Katheka. Both have user rights, although the women's user rights are determined by men. Unlike the case with access, women have limited control over resources such as trees, money, skills and tools. They also have little control over benefits, as such decisions are made largely by men. Men control the sale and purchase of livestock and land, as well as deciding what to do with the proceeds from selling cash crops. They essentially control the equipment and farm implements.
Summary
The gender relations in Katheka are similar to those in many other villages. The women are overwhelmed with work, both productive and reproductive, but have little control over the resources to do the work, or the benefits of their efforts. In Katheka, as elsewhere, this remains a development challenge. Lack of necessary inputs and tools leads to low productivity. Katheka's high levels of poverty— despite their hard work—may in part reflect this inequality.
The women's heavy workload and their limited control over productive resources and benefits limit their ability and interest in sustainable development. They spend a lot of time on reproductive activities such as fetching water, fuelwood, and health care. They could use this time more productively if these basic resources were readily available.
The gender study culminated in a set of recommendations and a loose community plan. The team used these recommendations to develop fund-raising proposals on behalf of the community. Unfortunately, none of these was successful. Nevertheless, the community has continued to mobilize local resources and is working with church organizations to build water systems to address their number one problem: water. —For more information, contact Charity Kabutha, Winrock International, Kenya.
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