INFLUENCE OF WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN GROUP ACTIVITIES ON EMPOWERMENT OF COMMUNITIES: A CASE OF KAJIADO NORTH SUB COUNTY, KENYA.

Abstract

The activities that women participate in through their groups influence the empowermentof communities. Women participation refers to the act of women getting involved in thevarious entrepreneurial processes or activities through their groups that would either bringeconomic, social and political changes to their lives, their families and ultimately theircommunities. This paper aimed at examining the Influence of women participation ingroup activities in Kajiado North Sub County, Kajiado County in Kenya. The studyobjectives were; To establish the influence of women participation in financial activities onthe economic empowerment of communities; to assess the influence of women participationin political activities on the empowerment of communities; to assess the influence of womengroups participation in environmental conservation activities on the empowerment ofcommunities and to establish the influence of women participation in trainings on theempowerment of communities. The target population consisted of women drawn from 378groups registered in Kajiado North Sub County; 5 Uwezo fund coordinators; 6 ministrystaff/government officials and 5 National Government Constituency Development Fund(CDF) and Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) officials. Data was gathered usingquestionnaire and interview guides and organized into themes according to studyobjectives. Findings indicated that; community empowerment is influenced by womengroup participation in income generating activities as indicated by 73.9% of therespondents, political activities as   indicated by 60.8%, environmental conservationactivities as indicated by 58.7% as well as training activities as indicated by 48.5% of therespondents. Given that women play a major role in the family and communitydevelopment, this study recommends that the government should upscale womeninvolvement in entrepreneurial activities as this has a direct effect on communityempowerment and general development of the country.