https://repository.cuk.ac.ke/handle/123456789/600 DCAM 2026-04-07T09:35:14Z https://repository.cuk.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1647 Gender-based barriers to women participation gender responsiveness of initiatives and thier influence on women participation in coffee cooperatives in Kiambu county. Abuga, Sophiah Kemunto Embracing gender responsiveness in agricultural cooperatives is crucial for advancing women's rights and fostering inclusive growth. Despite various measures, women's participation in Kenyan coffee cooperatives has historically remained low, impeding broader development. The purpose of the study was to determine the gender-based barriers to women participation, gender responsiveness of initiatives and their influence on women participation in coffee cooperatives in Kiambu County. The study's specific objectives were to identify the gender-based barriers to women participation in coffee cooperative, to evaluate gender responsiveness of initiatives in the coffee sector and to examine trends in women participation in coffee cooperatives. The study was guided by the Gender and Development theory and a descriptive research design. The target population comprised Cooperative Members, Chairpersons of Management Boards, Coffee Managers and Cooperative Officers. A sample size of 398 participants was selected using simple random sampling from members and purposive techniques from other respondents. Data collection involved Key Informant Interviews with Cooperative Officers, In-Depth Interviews with Chairpersons of Management Board and Coffee Managers and questionnaires for Cooperative Members. The data collection instruments were pilot-tested in Kabete Sub-County, yielding a Cronbach's alpha of 0.887, indicating high reliability. Face and content validity were ensured. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed key gender-based barriers persist, especially in access to farm inputs, lack of recognition of women's contributions and limited access to leadership roles. Also, while initiatives implemented were gender responsive, the Coffee bill, 2023 was found to have the lowest notable improvements in cultural norms and power dynamics, there was still a lack of potential for gender responsiveness, indicating limited capacity to foster inclusivity. Lastly, there was a positive trend in women’s participation over the last two years, the coffee sector, especially in decision-making and membership. The study concluded that; gender-based barriers should be addressed through targeted interventions such as creating training programs, continued implementation of initiatives was essential for further removing barriers and that the existing initiatives had positively influenced women participation. The study recommended further investigation be conducted to uncover the underlying causes of these barriers, revisions to the Coffee bill, 2023 to better promote gender inclusive practices in coffee sector and continuous assessment of gender responsive initiatives to ensure effectiveness and progress towards greater gender inclusivity in coffee cooperatives. The study recommended further area of study on the impact of internal, external and governmental programs on women’s participation in coffee cooperatives. Additional studies should also explore gender-based barriers and initiatives in other cooperative types, such as workers’ and consumer cooperatives. A project report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of masters of cooperative management, the co-operative university of Kenya 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.cuk.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1642 Gender related barriers and effectiveness of interventions to enhance women participation in agricultural cooperatives in Kajiado county, Kenya Atieno, Jocinter Increasing women's participation in agricultural cooperatives is essential for promoting rural development in developing nations. However, women in regions such as Kajiado County, Kenya, encounter numerous barriers that limit their active involvement in these cooperatives. Despite their pivotal role in agricultural productivity, women's participation remains low due to cultural, social, and economic challenges. The purpose of this study was to identify the gender-specific barriers hindering women’s participation in agricultural cooperatives in Kajiado County and to assess the interventions that can enhance their engagement. The objectives of the study were: To assess the level of women's participation in agricultural cooperatives in Kajiado County; To evaluate gender-related barriers to women’s participation in agricultural cooperatives in Kajiado County; and to assess the effectiveness of interventions to enhance women participation in agricultural cooperatives in Kajiado County. A thorough literature review informed the analysis, which drew on theoretical frameworks such as social capital theory, intersectionality, and leadership theories. The study employed a cross-sectional design, targeting women involved with agricultural cooperatives, cooperative leaders, and officials. Questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Findings revealed that women’s participation is constrained by economic limitations, such as restricted access to credit and resources; socio-cultural norms that undermine their roles in cooperative decision-making; and institutional barriers, including gender-insensitive cooperative by-laws. Although interventions like gender quotas and awareness programs have had positive impacts, their success is often hindered by entrenched structural and cultural issues. The study concludes that promoting women's participation in agricultural cooperatives requires a holistic approach addressing both systemic and cultural barriers. Policy implications include implementing gender-sensitive policies, promoting women’s leadership opportunities within cooperatives, and fostering inclusive environments that challenge traditional norms. These measures are essential for achieving equitable participation and unlocking the potential of agricultural cooperatives as drivers of rural development. A project report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of master of community development of the co-operative university of Kenya 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.cuk.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1640 Strategies for addressing barriers to women’s participation in agricultural cooperatives in the post-covid-19 recovery period in Kiambu county. Bitange, Teresa Moraa The study focused on strategies to address the barriers for women participation in cooperative societies. The study specifically focused on organizational policy, financial, informational and organizational culture strategies to address barriers to women participation. objectives were to analyze the strategies employed by agricultural cooperatives to address organizational policy barriers to women participation in the post-covid-19 recovery period in Kiambu County, to analyze the strategies employed by agricultural cooperatives to address financial barriers to women participation in the post-covid-19 recovery period in Kiambu County, to evaluate the strategies taken by agricultural cooperatives to address informational barriers to women participation in the post-covid-19 recovery period in Kiambu County and to evaluate the strategies employed by agricultural cooperatives to address institutional culture barriers to women participation in the post-covid-19 recovery period in Kiambu County. The research was anchored on people-centered development theory and social capital theory. The study employed mixed method research design. It targeted 45 registered agricultural cooperative societies in Kiambu County with 114,267 members. A two-stage sampling technique was employed in the study. In the first stage purposive sampling was used to select agricultural cooperative societies and in the second stage simple random sampling was used to select the membership from the cooperative societies selected in the first stage. A sample size of 398 female agricultural cooperative society members was selected for the study. Data was collected through focus group discussions, questionnaires and Key informant interviews. Questionnaires were administered by the researcher to a selection of cooperative members while KII was administered to board of management, supervisory committee members and FGDs was administered to cooperative CEO, Chair board of management and chair supervisory committee. A pilot study was conducted to improve the reliability of the data collection instrument. Cronbach alpha of 0.769 was obtained signifying that the instrument was reliable. Supervisors and departmental experts assisted in checking content validity of the instruments. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was analyzed by thematic analysis The study found that organizational policies strategies had a positive correlation (p=0.000, r=0.331) therefore rejecting null hypothesis. Informational policies strategies had positive significant relationship (p =0.000, r =0.226) rejecting null hypothesis and organizational culture had a positive correlation (p=000, r =0.309). However, financial strategies had a negative insignificant relationship with women participation, (p=0.305, r= -0.061) leading to accepting null hypothesis. Study findings will be beneficial to Agricultural Co-operative societies, researchers and academicians, government and policy makers. The study's finding suggests that education levels, there is need for members to access audited accounts also to advertise in vernacular at the same time at social gathering. Women should be encouraged to participate in leadership roles and unfavorable institutional culture are key factors that limit the participation of women. The study recommended adequate training for women, provision of appropriate environment and prompt provision of information to members by use bulk short messages option and provision of adequate notice for meetings. A Thesis Submitted to the School of Cooperatives and Community Development in Partial Fulfillment for the Award of the Degree of Master of Community Development of the Cooperative University of Kenya. 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.cuk.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1638 Impact of Covid-19 and gender responsiveness of recovery interventions in agricultural cooperatives in Kiambu County,Kenya Luyayi, Ajega Francis Emerging data from global COVID-19 recovery operations show a detrimental, gender-specific impact on all sectors, particularly agriculture. Despite efforts to promote women's involvement in agricultural cooperatives, understanding the pandemic's effects on different social groups is crucial for creating effective recovery plans. Since the initial outbreak, COVID-19 has posed significant challenges in Kenya, especially for women and girls. Identifying and addressing gender disparities is essential for implementing inclusive and fair policies to advance gender equality. This study investigated COVID-19's impact on agricultural cooperatives in Kiambu County and the gender-responsiveness of recovery interventions. It examined gender inclusion, the gendered impact of COVID-19, and interventions' responsiveness in Kiambu agricultural cooperatives. Erik Erikson's Social-Ecological Model and Feminist Political Ecology theories guided the study. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was utilized, enabling the researcher to collect both qualitative and quantitative data to effectively address each of the research objectives. The target population for this study was 18,963 individuals affiliated with dairy and coffee agricultural cooperatives in Kiambu County. Key informants were drawn from cooperative development officers, managers of agricultural cooperatives, while the focus group discussion participants were drawn from management committees. A stratified simple random sampling method was employed to select a sample of 303 respondents. Additionally, purposive sampling was utilized to identify key informants and participants for the focus group discussions. Data was collected using household questionnaires for members and focus groups discussion guides for committee members while in-depth interviews and key informant interviews managers and county cooperative officers. 35 respondents were selected for the pilot study from agricultural cooperatives in Kiambu County that were not part of the main study. Validity was ensured by seeking expert opinions from the Department of Community Development and Environmental Management. Reliability was established by pretesting the data collection tools with 10% of the study sample size (30 participants) drawn from dairy and coffee cooperatives excluded from the main study. Cronbach formulae was used to calculate the reliability which was found to be 0.81 indicating that the tools were reliable. Quantitative data was analysed using STATA software while qualitative data was analysed using N-Vivo and presented in themes. The study results found men predominantly held management board positions, with 49% and women 32%. Women were the majority of cooperative employees by 63%. The supervisory committee showed a more balanced representation, with 42% indicating men and 35% indicating women. Cultural norms (54%) were the main barrier to women's leadership participation. Women bore the majority of COVID-19's burden. For instance, women (61%) and men (49%) experienced a change in safety in their homes, and women (61%) and men (30%) reported instances of sexual harassment. During the pandemic, efforts to curb COVID-19 spread were prioritized, often ignoring gender concerns. The distribution of genders throughout the various levels of cooperative governance revealed a generally noteworthy underrepresentation of women in positions involving important decision-making. The study concluded that addressing gender disparities is essential for fostering inclusive and equitable leadership in agricultural cooperatives. It recommended adopting tailored strategies to enhance gender inclusivity, mitigate COVID-19 impacts, and improve cooperative interventions. A thesis submitted to the school of cooperative and community development in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of master of community development of the co-operative university of Kenya. 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z