Older Women's Rights to Property and Inheritance in Kenya: Culture, Policy, and Disenfranchisement

Kimani, Elishiba; Maina, Lucy

doi:10.1080/15313204.2010.523647

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Natural frailty caused by biological aging, women are disproportionately more vulnerable to predictors of poor mental health, such as social isolation and low economic status. Based on lifecourse component of cumulative disadvantage, low economic status is especially a salient vulnerability factor for aging women in Kenya due to a lifetime of sociocultural barriers to accumulating wealth (Kimani & Maina, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychometric properties of a Swahili-translated Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) in sample of aging Kenyans.

Muruthi,

Maina,

Mwega

et al. 2024

ijsshr

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Objective: The prevalence of psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety, is increasing among Kenyans. However, there is a lack of understanding about its prevalence rates among aging people, and we lack culturally standardized and concise tools to measure it. Method: This study utilized a sample of 376 older individuals obtained from three regions in Kenya to investigate the distribution, prevalence, and psychometric properties of a Swahili-translated version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). A significant advantage of the K6 is its capacity to measure various mental health factors despite its conciseness. Results: Distribution assessments reveal that most participants reported high psychological distress scores (13 or above), and women experienced significantly higher rates compared to men. The K6 indicators showed high internal consistency for the sample (alpha =.83). Exploratory factor analysis showed the six items loading to on 1 factor and subsequent confirmatory analysis demonstrated excellent fit (CFI = .95; RMSEA = .03) for the one-factor model. Discussion: The high occurrence of psychological distress among the sample highlights this mental health problem as a potentially urgent area of need in the entire Kenyan population. Factor analysis results suggest that the Swahili-translated K6 is a concise tool with great potential for assessing psychological distress among older Kenyans

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychometric properties of a Swahili-translated Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) in sample of aging Kenyans.

Muruthi,

Maina,

Mwega

et al. 2024

ijsshr

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In Kenya, most groups follow/practise the patriarchal and patrilineal inheritance systems, which largely marginalize and discriminate against women and “[s]trengthen male control over female labor and productivity” (Kimani and Maina 2010:259). In such societies, it is generally considered unacceptable for females to own lands and other property (HelpAge International 2021; Kabole et al 2013; Kenya Human Rights Commission 2021; Kimani and Maina 2010). Thus, in many Kenyan communities, “women have access rights to land through marriage.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, in many Kenyan communities, “women have access rights to land through marriage. Upon marriage, they move to their husband’s home” (Kimani and Maina 2010:259). However, when their husbands die, land-grabbing relatives of the deceased often employ all manner of tactics to expel them from occupying, or deny them the right to inherit, their deceased husbands’ property/land (Cattell 2021; Kimani and Maina 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Magnitude, Characteristics and Socio-economic Contexts of Witchcraft-Related Eldercides in Kenya

Owusu

2023

Int. ann. criminol.

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Many eldercides in African societies are motivated by witchcraft beliefs. Yet, witchcraft-related eldercide remains an understudied criminological subject. The present study explores the scale, features and socio-cultural and economic contexts of witchcraft-related elder homicide in Kenya. A total of 94 media articles reporting the witchcraft-related killings of 136 older people in Kenya between January 2012 and December 2021 were perused. Key information about the victims and perpetrators and the circumstances surrounding each event/eldercide was collected and critically analysed. The data suggest that approximately 75% of witchcraft-related homicide victims in Kenya are 60 years old and above. Most victims were females (mainly widows) of low socio-economic backgrounds. All the cases occurred in rural communities, and the perpetrators were largely young adult males. Arson, slashing with a machete and clubbing/beating were the dominant methods used to kill alleged witches. Most killings were motivated by the belief that the victims caused misfortunes/calamities by witchcraft. However, witchcraft allegations and concomitant killings were sometimes weaponized to obtain the victims’ property/land. Because witchcraft beliefs are deeply entrenched in the culture and philosophy of the Kenyan people, the use of a multifaceted approach may be the most appropriate way of curtailing the problem.

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“…Kenya lags behind its neighbors on metrics of women's rights and political participation. Although customary law and social practices complicate the implementation of women's rights also in Uganda and Tanzania, studies attest to Kenya's exceptionally poor record in safeguarding women's property and inheritance rights (especially in rural areas), which has had devastating consequences for women's HIV infection, poverty rates, health outcomes, and overall well-being (Dworkin et al, 2012;Kimani & Maina, 2010;Muchomba, Wang, & Agosta, 2014;J. Walsh, 2005).…”

Section: Kenyamentioning

confidence: 99%

Authoritarian Institutions and Women’s Rights

Donno

Kreft

2018

Comparative Political Studies

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While dictatorships perform worse than democracies in respect for most human rights, a large number of autocracies have prioritized the advancement of women’s rights. We present a theory of authoritarian rights provision that focuses on the incentives for dictatorships to secure women’s loyalty, and we identify the particular capacity of institutionalized party-based regimes to supply—and capitalize from—women’s rights policies. Analyzing a comprehensive sample of authoritarian regimes from 1963 to 2009, we find that party-based regimes are associated with greater economic and political rights for women irrespective of whether they hold multiparty elections. A comparative exploration of authoritarian Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya sheds further light on these findings and examines alternative explanations. Our account of women’s rights as a tool of autocratic party coalition-building contrasts with the provision of civil and associational rights—so-called “coordination goods”—which represents a concession to the opposition and tends to accompany liberalization.

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Older Women's Rights to Property and Inheritance in Kenya: Culture, Policy, and Disenfranchisement

Cited by 8 publications

References 4 publications

Psychometric properties of a Swahili-translated Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) in sample of aging Kenyans.

Psychometric properties of a Swahili-translated Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) in sample of aging Kenyans.

Exploring the Magnitude, Characteristics and Socio-economic Contexts of Witchcraft-Related Eldercides in Kenya

Authoritarian Institutions and Women’s Rights

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