Investigating Women’s Role in Land Reform: Evidence from Kajiado West Subcounty, Kajiado County

This study investigates the persistent gap between Kenya's progressive land reform laws and the lived realities of women in Kajiado West Sub-County, a region characterized by entrenched patriarchal norms. While the 2010 Constitution guarantees gender-equal land rights, women's access to and control over land remain severely limited by customary laws and a lack of formal empowerment. The primary objective was to examine the actual roles women play in land reform processes as champions, agents of change, or claimants of rights and the barriers they face. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research utilized a structured questionnaire with 135 residents and qualitative data from key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Findings indicate that women overwhelmingly support equitable reforms and act as change agents through informal support networks. However, their participation is constrained by limited formal leadership roles, low legal literacy, and cultural resistance. The study concludes that legal frameworks alone are insufficient; effective change requires targeted interventions that combine legal education, capacity-building for women leaders, and initiatives to shift patriarchal norms, empowering women to become substantive rather than symbolic stakeholders in land governance.

Gender; Land reform; Women’s empowerment; Women’s rights; Kenya

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