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The Impact of the Women's Decade on Policies, Programs and Empowerment of Women in Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2019

Maria Nzomo
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Extract

The 1985 Nairobi Conference to close the United Nations decade dedicated to women of the world caught Kenyan women (and men) by storm. Indeed, the majority of Kenyan women did not know, until the eve of this conference, that there had been an entire decade dedicated to them, and committed to the achievement of Equality, Development, and Peace. However, the Kenyan policy makers and the enlightened among Kenyan women, especially leaders of women's organizations, were not only fully aware of the decade's developments, but had in various ways participated and contributed to it. On its part, the Kenya government by the end of the decade, had adopted a Women in Development (WID) policy position and created and/or promoted national machineries to develop and coordinate programs for women.

Type
FOCUS: Beyond Nairobi: Women’s Politics and Policies in Africa Revisited
Information
African Issues , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , Summer 1989 , pp. 9 - 17
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 1989 

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References

Notes

1 Moi, Daniel Toroitich Arap, Kenya African Nationalism: Nyayo Philosophy and Principles, London, Macmillian, 1986, p. 118.Google Scholar

2 Republic of Kenya, Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1973 on Employment, Government Printer, Nairobi, 1973, p. 64.

3 Mazingira Institute, A Guide to Women's Organizations and Agencies Serving Women in Kenya, Nairobi, Mazingira Institute, 1985, p. 286; Achola Pala, et al, The Participation of Women in Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya Literature Bureau, part II, pp. 73-103.

4 Maria Maas, Women's Groups in Kiambu, Kenya, Research Report No. 26, Leiden, The Netherlands, African Studies Centre, 1986, p. 66.

5 Betty N. Wamalwa, “Are Women's Groups Exploiting Women?” Discussion Paper for Women's Networking Group Meeting, Nairobi, April 1987, p.9.

6 Maria Nzomo, “The Impact of Foreign Aid on Women's Projects in Kenya: Some Preliminary Findings.” Paper presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association, Denver, Colorado, November, 1987, pp. 12-13; also Wamalwa, p. 10

7 O. Ooko-Ombaka, “Some reflections on the Kenya Legal System and Prospects for the Women's Question,” Discussion paper presented at the National Seminar on Law and Development, Mombasa, Kenya, November 1987, p. 9.

8 Phoebe M. Asiyo, “Legislative Process and Gender Issues in Kenya,” Discussion paper presented at the National Seminar on Law and Development, pp. 1-2.

9 This case stretched for a period of several months beginning December 1986 to May 1987 while the dead husband was lying in the Nairobi City Mortuary awaiting the Court decision. It received wide publicity and was very well-covered by the local press. The entire proceedings of this case were later compiled into a booklet by the Nation group of publishers, under the title, S. M. Otieno: Kenya's Unique Burial Saga, May 1987. See also “ SM: Wambui's defeat is defeat for Women,” in VIVA, June 1987, pp. 16-17 and p. 36.

10 “The Impact of Foreign Aid.., ” op.cit., found that, out of a total grant fund of US$13 million given by USAID to a project in Kenya in which women were supposed to be the major beneficiaries, USS5 million was spent on for expatriate staff attached to the project. See also Marjorie Mbilinyi, “Women in Development Ideology: The Promotion of Competition and Exploitation”, The African Review, v. 2, No. 1, 1984.

11 Daily Nation, Nairobi, September 20, 1984, p. 21.

12 The Standard, Nairobi, September 16, 1983, pp. 12-13; also cited in M. Nzomo, “Women, Democracy and Development in Africa”, in W. Oyugi et al, eds., Democratic Theory and Practice in Africa, Portsmouth, N.H., Heinemann, 1987, p. 124.

13 Papanek, Hanna, “Development Planning for Women” in Wellesley Editorial Committee, ed., Women and National Development: The Complexities of Change, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1977, p. 14.Google Scholar

14 Kenya Government, Economic Survey, 1988 Nairobi Government Printer, 1988, p.155.