Devolution and Gender Responsive Service Delivery in Kenya: A Gender Analysis of Siaya County

Abstract

Background The concept of gender responsive delivery of government services may be defined as a holistic effort to include women in need identification, design, implementation and evaluation of all government activities and development interventions. Gender responsive service delivery involves three key components: 1) deliberate efforts to identify historical, socio cultural and economic factors that contribute to the marginalization and exclusion of women; 2) involving both women and men in need identification, design, implementation and evaluation of development projects; and 3) involving both men and women in the management of service delivery by ensuring that qualified men and women occupy decision-making positions. This study was conducted in Siaya County, Kenya. Siaya County is located in the Western part of Kenya, along Lake Victoria, which is the third largest fresh water lake in the world. It is bordered by Busia, Kakamega, and Kisumu Counties to the North and NorthWest , NorthEast , and SouthEast respectively, and Homabay County across the Winam Gulf to the South and SouthWest. Siaya County is divided into Gem, Ugunja, Ugenya, Alego-Usonga, Bondo and Rarieda sub-counties, which are also parliamentary constituencies. The constituencies are further divided into 30 County assembly wards. The County covers a surface area of 3,535 square kilometers with an estimated population of 950,000, out of which approximately 495,000 are female, with an estimated density of 372 persons per square kilometer. The County is predominantly populated by the Luo community. Agriculture is the backbone of the county's economy and the main source of livelihood. The main agricultural activities include fishing, smallholder rain-fed cultivation and livestock production. The main objective of the study was to establish the gender responsiveness of the services offered by Siaya County government. Specifically, the study conducted a gender analysis of the socioeconomic challenges in Siaya County, including food insecurity, unemployment/ underemployment, water, sanitation and health; and a gender analysis of the County budget. 2. Methodology Data for this study was collected from 132 main respondents who included 97 women whose ages ranged between 18 and 67 years. Data from the main respondents was complimented by information from key informants, drawn from among senior County government officials, and community own resource persons (COPRs), among them teachers, chiefs and gender activists. Data from the main respondents were collected through a questionnaire and focus group discussions (FGDs). This was complemented by key informant interviews and secondary data. Qualitative data were