The Women’s Movement and Gender Politics in Kenya

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Kenya

Abstract

During the first decade of the twenty-first century, many of Africa’s 54 nations witnessed increases in the number of women in politics (Mama, 2013; Nasong’o & Ayot, 2007; Ndeda & Nyakwaka, 2013; Kabira et al., 1993). According to these studies, this was attributed to several factors, namely: increased women’s political activism, particularly during the 1990s, better, increased and more organized women’s movements mobilizations within political transitions, the influence of the global feminist movements, which helped increase women’s struggles and agitation for increased representations not just regionally but also globally as evidenced in the World Women’s Conferences convened by the United Nations (including the 1995 Women’s Conference held in Bei**g) and increased transnational feminist networks that have also empowered women’s activism both at regional and national levels among many others.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
EUR 29.95
Price includes VAT (Thailand)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
EUR 139.09
Price includes VAT (Thailand)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
EUR 169.99
Price excludes VAT (Thailand)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
EUR 169.99
Price excludes VAT (Thailand)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bouka, Y., Marie, E. B., & Kamuru, M. M. (2019). Women’s Political Inclusion in Kenya’s Devolved Systems. Journal of East African Studies, 13(2), 313–333.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Wet, L. (2013). Do Gender Quotas Work? The Case of Rwanda. Unpublished Thesis, University of Southampton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Domingo, P., et al. (2016). Women and Power: Sha** the Development of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution. Overseas International Development Report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gichengo, D. (2010). Women in Politics: The 50 Years Journey in Kenya. Kenya Human Rights Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kabira, W. M. (2013). Women’s Experiences as Sources of Public and Legitimate Knowledge: Constitution Making in Kenya. Pathways to African Feminism and Development, Journal of the African Women Studies Centre University of Nairobi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kabira, W., & Kimani, E. (2012). The Historical Journey of Women’s Leadership in Kenya. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy, 3(6), 842–849.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kabira, W. M., Oduol, J., & Nzomo, M. (Eds.). (1993). Democratic Change in Africa: Women’s Perspective. ACTS Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kabira, Wanjiku, and Elishiba Kimani. (Jan. 2012). The Historical Journey of Women’s Leadership in Kenya” by W. M. Kabira and E. N. Kimani, Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies (JETERAPS) 3(6): 842–849 © Scholarlink Research Institute Journals, 2012 (ISSN: 2141-6990).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kamau, N. (2010). Women and Political Leadership in Kenya: Ten Case Studies. Heinrich Boll Stiftung.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanyi, W. (2016). The Walls We Can’t See! Public Policy Lethargy on Women’s Political Participation in Kenya. Retrieved from https://ke.boell.org/sites/default/files/uploads/2016/06/gender_briefs-_wambui_kanyi.pdf.

  • Mama, A. (1995). Feminism or Femocracy? State Feminism and Democratization in Nigeria. Africa Development, 20(1), 37–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mama, A. (2013). “Sheroes and Villains: Conceptualizing Colonial and Contemporary Violence Against Women in Africa 1.” Feminist genealogies, colonial legacies, democratic futures, 46–62. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mbugua, R. W. (2017). Women’s Organizations and Collective Action in Kenya: Opportunities and Challenges-the Case of Maendeleo Ya Wanawake. Journal of African Women Studies, 1(5).

    Google Scholar 

  • Nasong’o, S. W., & Ayot, T. O. (2007). Women in Kenya’s Politics of Transition and Democratization. In G. R. Murunga & S. W. Nasong’o (Eds.), Kenya: The Struggle for Democracy. CODESRIA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ndeda, M. A. J., & Nyakwaka, D. (2013). Women in Post Independent Kenya, 1963 to the Present. In W. Ochieng (Ed.), A History of Independent Kenya: A Celebration of Kenya’s 50th Anniversary. Lake Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nyabola, N. (2017). A Seat at the Table: The Fight for Gender Parity in Kenya and Somalia. World Policy Journal 1 December, 33(4), 10–15. https://doi.org/10.1215/07402775-3812933

  • Nyabola, N., & Pommerolle, M.-E. (2017). A Seat at the Table: The Fight for Gender Parity in Kenya. In N. Nyabola & M.-E. Pommerolle (Eds.), Where Women Are: Gender and the 2017 Kenyan General Election. Nairobi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nzomo, M. (2011a). The Impact of Women in Political Leadership in Kenya: Struggle for Participation in Governance Through Affirmative Action. University of Nairobi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nzomo, M. (2011b). Women in Political Leadership; Access, Agenda Setting and Accountability. Unpublished Paper.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsitau, D. S. (2020). Cyberbullying: The Digital Pandemic! Retrieved from https://www.theelephant.info/features/2020/08/14/cyberbullying-the-digital-pandemic/.

  • Tam, O. (2015). The Power to Decide: Women, Decision Making and Gender Equality. ODI policy brief, odi.org.

  • Tam, O., & Domingo, P. 2016). Women and Power: Overcoming Barriers to Leadership and Influence. Oversees Development Institute (ODI) odi.org.

  • Tripp, A. (2014). Women’s Movement and Constitution Making After Civil Unrest and Conflict in Africa: The Case of Kenya and Somalia, Unpublished Paper.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Allen, J. (2001). Women’s Rights Movement’s as a Measure of Democracy in Africa. Journal of African and Asian Studies, 36(1), 124–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeleza, P. T. (2014). The Protracted Transition to the Second Republic. In G. Murunga, D. Okello, & A. Sjogren (Eds.), Kenya: The Struggle for a New Constitutional Order. Zed Books.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Parsitau, D., Nyakwaka, D. (2023). The Women’s Movement and Gender Politics in Kenya. In: Nasong'o, W.S., Amutabi, M.N., Falola, T. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Kenya. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15854-4_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15854-4_12

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-15853-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-15854-4

  • eBook Packages: HistoryHistory (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Navigation