Impediments to full realization of women’s right to property in Kakamega District, Kenya.

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Date
2011-09
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Abstract
The study examined the impediments to full realization of women’s rights to property in Kenya using Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega District as a Case Study. The study investigated the various forms of property ownership in Kakamega District, the impediments to full realization of women’s right to property ownership in Kakamega District, and the effectiveness of the measures the Government of Kenya has put in place to mitigate the impediments to full realization of women’s right to property ownership in Kakamega District. The study targeted 480 respondents out of the six divisions of Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega District, who were studied using a Researcher Generated Structured Questionnaire, Interview Schedule, and Documentary Review. The study made three important discoveries. First, there are three major forms of property ownership in Kakamega District which include customary/communal property ownership, freehold property ownership, and co-ownership of property. Second, the study also revealed that the various impediments to full realization of women’s property ownership in Kakamega District include poverty, illiteracy, biased cultural attitudes and customary laws, harmful cultural practices, corruption, poor governance, discriminatory property laws, limited implementation, lack of awareness, ineffective courts, and poor representation of women. Third, the study further revealed that the measures put in place by the Government of Kenya to mitigate the impediments to full realization of women’s right to property ownership are ineffective. To overcome the cited impediments, the researcher recommends that both the Government of Kenya and other stakeholders should institute legal, institutional and programmatic reforms; domesticate and implement the international human rights treaties; provide budgetary and other resources necessary for effective implementation of laws and policies; set up accessible, affordable and impartial courts especially in the rural areas; develop tools for inheritance rights and empower women through legal and other literacy programmes
Description
A Thesis Presented to the School of Postgraduate Studies and Research, Kampala International University, Kampala, Uganda In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Human Rights and Development
Keywords
Women’s right to property, Kakamega District, Kenya.
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