Women's Agency and Educational Policy

Mutindi Mumbua Kiluva-Ndunda

Description

This fascinating book examines rural African women's experiences of education in Kilome, Kenya, providing engrossing, and oftentimes heartbreaking, testimony on the cultural, historical, social, economic, and political factors that have shaped, and continue to shape, women's educational and economic opportunities there. As a Kamba woman who grew up in rural Kenya and as one who received an education in the metropolitan cities of North America, the author presents these women's stories not simply from an insider's perspective, but as one who has shared experiences of the issues discussed in the book. Highlighting the struggles these women face to provide their children—particularly their daughters—with educational opportunities, the author draws attention to the gender and power issues that limit women's participation in the public sphere and illustrates how women in Kenya have been largely absent at the national level where educational policies are formulated.
Preface

1. Introduction

Main Focus
Background
Overview of the Book

2. Education and Women's Equity: Framing the Context

Women and Education in Kenya
Women's Economic Activities
Women and the Family
Women's Self-Help Groups
Conclusion

3. Research Sites

Kithumba Village
Kyandue Village
Salama Town
Choice of Study Area
Participants

4. Grounding the Methodology of Study

Paving the Way: Theoretical Framework
Research Design
Writing Ethnography
Reflections on Doing Research in Kilome Division

5. Analyses of Education- and Development-Policy

Documents
Ominde Report (1964)
Sessional Paper # 10: African Socialism and Its Application to Planning Policy (1965)
1974–1978 Development Plan
Gachathi Report (1976)
Mackay Report (1981)
Wanjigi Report (1982–1983)
Kamunge Report (1988)
1989–1993 Development Plan
Ndegwa Report (1991)
Conclusion

6. Kilome Women's Educational Experiences

Colonial Background
Women's Own Experiences of Education
Educational Experiences of Kilome Women's Daughters
Conclusion

7. Factors Limiting Girls' Educational Opportunities

High Cost of Education
Traditional Preference to Educate Boys
Assumption That Girls Will Get Married
Girls' Potential Motherhood
Responsibility for Sex Education
Poverty
Conclusion

8. Intensification of Women's Labor to Educate Their Children and Its Implications

Importance Women Attach to Educating Daughters
Supporting Their Mothers
Supporting Their Families
Making Marriage Choices
Women's Inability to Depend on Husbands for Daughters' Education
Intensification of Women's Labor
Women's Health
Girls' Education,Impact on the Welfare of the Family
Conclusion

9. "Help Me So That I May Help You": Women's Self-Help Movement

Kyandue Women's Self-Help Group
Kithumba Women's Self-Help Group
Salama Women's Self-Help Group
Successes and Limitations
Exclusiveness of Women's Self-Help Groups
Conclusion

10. Women's Educational Experiences: Private and Public Discourses on Education in Kenya and Implications for Policy

Public and Private Discourses on Education
Implications for Policy
Support for Girls' Education Starting at the Village Level
Reentry of Adolescent Mothers into the School System
Introducing Sex Education in Schools and Communities
Support for Women as Intervention Agents for Their Daughters' Education
Conclusion

Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• Types of rural communities

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 19 octobre 2000
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791491652
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Women’s Agency and Educational Policy

SUNY series, The Social Context of Education Christine E. Sleeter, editor

Women’s Agency and Educational Policy

The Experiences of the Women of Kilome, Kenya

mutindi mumbua kiluva-ndunda

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2001 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address the State University of New York Press 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207

Production by Kristin Milavec Marketing by Anne M. Valentine

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kiluva-Ndunda, Mutindi Mumbua. Women’s agency and educational policy : the experiences of the women of Kilome, Kenya / Mutindi Mumbua Kiluva-Ndunda. p. cm. — (SUNY series, the social context of education) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-7914-4761-8 (alk. paper)—ISBN 0-7914-4762-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Women—Education—Social aspects—Kenya—Kilome. 2. Education and state—Kenya—Kilome. 3. Women—Kenya—Kilome—Social conditions. 4. Kilome (Kenya). I. Title. II. SUNY series, social context of education.

LC2474.2 .K54 2001 305.42'096762—dc21

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

00-020576 CIP



Contents 

Preface

1

2

3

4

Introduction Main Focus, 1 Background, 3 Overview of the Book, 5

Education and Women’s Equity: Framing the Context Women and Education in Kenya, 8 Women’s Economic Activities, 13 Women and the Family, 17 Women’s Self-Help Groups, 20 Conclusion, 22

Research Sites Kithumba Village, 27 Kyandue Village, 29 Salama Town, 31 Choice of Study Area, 34 Participants, 36

Grounding the Methodology of Study Paving the Way: Theoretical Framework, 40 Research Design, 46 Writing Ethnography, 48 Reflections on Doing Research in Kilome Division, 49

v

ix

1

7

25

39

vi

5

6

7

8



PCroenftaecnets

Analyses of Education- and Development-Policy Documents Ominde Report (1964), 59 Sessional Paper # 10: African Socialism and Its Application to Planning Policy (1965), 61 1974–1978 Development Plan, 63 Gachathi Report (1976), 64 Mackay Report (1981), 67 Wanjigi Report (1982–1983), 69 Kamunge Report (1988), 71 1989–1993 Development Plan, 72 Ndegwa Report (1991), 73 Conclusion, 76

Kilome Women’s Educational Experiences Colonial Background, 84 Women’s Own Experiences of Education, 85 Educational Experiences of Kilome Women’s Daughters, 94 Conclusion, 97

Factors Limiting Girls’ Educational Opportunities High Cost of Education, 102 Traditional Preference to Educate Boys, 105 Assumption That Girls Will Get Married, 106 Girls’ Potential Motherhood, 109 Responsibility for Sex Education, 112 Poverty, 114 Conclusion, 116

Intensification of Women’s Labor to Educate Their Children and Its Implications Importance Women Attach to Educating Daughters, 120 Supporting Their Mothers, 121 Supporting Their Families, 122 Making Marriage Choices, 123 Women’s Inability to Depend on Husbands for Daughters’ Education, 126 Intensification of Women’s Labor, 128 Women’s Health, 135 Girls’ Education, 137

55

83

101

119

9

10

CPonrteefantcse

Impact on the Welfare of the Family, 138 Conclusion, 138

“Help Me So That I May Help You”: Women’s Self-Help Movement Kyandue Women’s Self-Help Group, 143 Kithumba Women’s Self-Help Group, 147 Salama Women’s Self-Help Group, 149 Successes and Limitations, 150 Exclusiveness of Women’s Self-Help Groups, 151 Conclusion, 153

Women’s Educational Experiences: Private and Public Discourses on Education in Kenya and Implications for Policy Public and Private Discourses on Education, 155 Implications for Policy, 164 Support for Girls’ Education Starting at the Village Level, 168 Reentry of Adolescent Mothers into the School System, 168 Introducing Sex Education in Schools and Communities, 169 Support for Women as Intervention Agents for Their Daughters’ Education, 170 Conclusion, 171

Notes Bibliography Index



vii

141

155

173 179 189

This page intentionally left blank.



Preface 

his book is about women’s perception of education and the enc T es of the women of Kilome, Kenya. Contrary to the public dis- sacrifices they make to afford their children meaningful edu- cational opportunities. It focuses on the educational experi- course on the education of women articulated in Kenyan policy documents, women’s private discourses on education emphasize higher education as the key to self-reliance for their children. The sacrifices that women make to achieve higher education are many. For me, the ultimate sacrifice was leaving my two young children—a two year old and a three year old—to pursue a master’s degree in Canada. The joy of winning a prestigious Canadian In- ternational Development Agency (CIDA) scholarship was shrouded by the reality of this sacrifice. It was very difficult for me to reconcile the contradictions of motherhood and the development of my career. For a woman to leave her young children to pursue her education abroad was a choice that few Kenyan men and women accepted. However, grow- ing up in a polygamous home, I knew how important it was for a woman to have something that she could call her own. Education was that “something” that could give a woman economic indepen- dence. I decided to develop my career unlike my mother, who was compelled to support my father’s career development only to lose control over the benefits of his career when he became a “modern polygamist.” Traditionally, the first wife chose her cowife/wives and had control over the family’s resources. The journey of my education begins with my mother, who like many mothers in my village, valued the education of all her chil- dren irrespective of their gender. She enrolled me in school when I became of age and made sure that I was fed, clean, and had all ix