Gender-Related Problems Constraining Women Farmers’ Participation in Soil Conservation in the Semi-Arid Areas within the Masinga Dam Catchment, Kenya

Abstract

This research investigated the gender related constraints impeding women farmers’ participation in soil conservation in the semi-arid areas of the Masinga dam catchment area in Kenya. Data was collected mainly through a questionnaire administered to 150 farmers and analyzed by use of descriptive statistics. Findings of the research revealed that a significantly high number of women farmers as opposed to that of male farmers did not participate effectively in soil conservation activities. Why? Because women farmers especially those in female managed (de jure) and female managed (de facto) farms operated in a system characterized by unfair and unjustifiable distribution and allocation of resources. First, most of them unlike the male farmers experienced serious financial difficulties and as a result could not afford too hire labor or to buy farm inputs that are essential for soil conservation work. Secondly, women farmers did not enjoy security of land tenure and were thus skeptical about investing their meager resources and energy in conserving land that did not fully belong to them. Thirdly, these farmers faced a serious labor shortage constraint, a problem made worse by the unequal and unfair gender biased distribution of household duties which left women overburdened with the heavy and very demanding duties and no time to attend to soil conservation matters. Lastly, majority of women farmers never received extension advice because the extension agents preferred to advise men farmers. In addition, extension agents used some gender unfriendly approaches, which discouraged many women farmers from consulting with them. These four problems hampered the effective participation of the women farmers, who form the majority of the farming community, in soil conservation; hence the poor status of soil conservation in the study area. To remedy the situation, the government should devise gender friendly policies that empower women farmers to deal with soil conservation and other environmental problems effectively.