The role of women enterprises for the conservation of Kakamega forest, Kenya
Keywords:
Kakamega forest, Conservation, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship
Abstract
Aim: This paper aims to show how local women’s community-based entrepreneurial activities have improved the management and conservation of Kakamega Forest. Recent research has shown that the western Kenyan Kakamega Forest is rapidly being cut down. In many cases, locals are held responsible for this issue. This paper, however, argues that native communities have historically played critical roles in protecting forest ecosystems.
Method: Approximately 149 women from local entrepreneurship and conservation groups (chamas) were polled via questionnaire.
Findings: Many of these women increased their income through forest conservation efforts. Sixty-two percent of those surveyed reported growing and domesticating wild, native plants for use as food or medicine. These actions helped protect native species while reducing ecological stress on the forest’s meager resources. Nearly 20% of people polled had a professional connection to producing eco-friendly jikos or stoves. It was hoped this would lessen the need to cut down trees for firewood.
Implications/Novel Contribution: This study’s original contribution is its inquiry into the impact of women’s community-based entrepreneurial activities on the management and conservation of Kakamega Forest. It is unclear how much women’s networking and conservation initiatives have helped preserve forests.
References
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Wanninayake, S. (2016). Sri Lankan women migrant workers and role of family and kinship networks. Journal of Advances in Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(2), 14-23. doi:https://doi.org/10.20474/jahss2.1.2
Wehrmeyer, W., & McNeil, M. (2000). Activists, pragmatists, technophiles and tree-huggers? Gender differences in employees’ environmental attitudes. Journal of Business Ethics, 28(3), 211-222. doi:https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1006253212744
Xiao, C., & Hong, D. (2010). Gender differences in environmental behaviors in China. Population and Environment, 32(1), 88-104. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11111-010-0115-z
Zelezny, L. C., Chua, P.-P., & Aldrich, C. (2000). New ways of thinking about environmentalism: Elaborating on gender differences in environmentalism. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 443-457. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00177
Zimmerman, D. (2001). The avifauna of the kakamega forest, western Kenya, including a bird population study. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 149(6), 257-339.
Aditya, S. K. (2016). Role of women in environmental conservation. International Journal of Political Science and Development, 4(4), 140-145. doi:https://doi.org/10.14662/IJPSD2016.026
Blackett, L., H. (1994). Forest inventory (Technical report). Kakamega Forest Department/ Kenya Indigenous Forest Conservation Programme, Nairobi, Kenya.
Blankenau, J., Snowden, M., & Langan, M. (2007). Understanding environmentalism in a red, agricultural state: The impact of political party identification and place of residence. Sociological Spectrum, 28(1), 55-80. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/02732170701675201
Börner, J., Mburu, J., Guthiga, P., & Wambua, S. (2009). Assessing opportunity costs of conservation: Ingredients for protected area management in the Kakamega Forest, Western Kenya. Forest Policy and Economics, 11(7), 459-467. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2009.05.004
Carlsson-Kanyama, A., & Lindén, A.-L. (2007). Energy efficiency in residences: Challenges for women and men in the North. Energy Policy, 35(4), 2163-2172. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2006.06.018
Emerton, L. (1996). Valuing the subsistence use of forest products in Oldonyo Orok forest, Kenya. Rural Development Forestry Network, 19(8), 21-30.
Government of Kenya. (2005). Laws of Kenya, the Kenya forests act, 2005. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3i5f0ZR
Guthiga, P. M., Mburu, J., & Holm-Mueller, K. (2008). Factors influencing local communities satisfaction levels with different forest management approaches of Kakamega Forest, Kenya. Environmental Management, 41(5), 696-706. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-008-9080-z
Hunter, L. M., Hatch, A., & Johnson, A. (2004). Cross-national gender variation in environmental behaviors. Social Science Quarterly, 85(3), 677-694. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0038-4941.2004.00239.x
Jahan, M. (2008). The impact of environmental degradation on women in Bangladesh: An overview. Asian Affairs, 30(2), 5-15. doi:https://doi.org/10.18769/ijasos.592100
Kabutha, C., & Humbly, H. (1996). Gender concerns in agroforestry. In People and Institutional Participation in Agroforestry and Sustainable Development. First Kenya Agroforestry Conference, Nairobi, Kenya.
Kenya Indigenous Forest Conservation Programme. (1994). A review of KIFCON phase i and identification of gaps arising from programme termination. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2XuuQ8G
Lee, K. (2009). Gender differences in Hong Kong adolescent consumers’ green purchasing behavior. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 26(2), 87-96. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760910940456
Mbuvi, M., Ongugo, P., Maua, J., & Koech, C. (2007). Emerging values of forests: A blessing for Participatory Forest Management (PFM): The case of Kenya. In International PFM Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
McCright, A. M., & Sundström, A. (2013). Examining gender differences in environmental concern in the Swedish general public, 1990-2011. International Journal of Sociology, 43(4), 63-86. doi:https://doi.org/10.2753/ijs0020-7659430402
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. (2007). The forests (participation in sustainable forest management) rules (Technical report). Government Printer, Nairobi, Kenya.
Mogaka, H. (2001). Economic aspects of community involvement in sustainable forest management in Eastern and Southern Africa (No. 8). Gland, Switzerland: IUCN Publisher.
Nasrin, F. (2012). Women, environment and environmental advocacy: Challenges for Bangladesh. Asian Jurnal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(3), 1-3.
Omare, S., Kiyiapi, L., & Kamaara, E. (2013). The role of women in the conservation of the Kakamega forest, Kenya: A feminist perspective. Theologies and Cultures, 10(1), 102-131.
Ongugo, P., Mbuvi, M., Maua, J., Koech, C., & Othim, R. (2007). Emerging community institutions for PFM process implementation in Kenya. In International PFM Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Pandolfelli, L., Meinzen-Dick, R., & Dohrn, S. (2007). Gender and collective action: A conceptual framework for analysis (Working paper no No. 64). International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, WA.
Papavasileiou, V. (2015). Sustainable development and education: A multidimensional relationship. Athens, Greece: Diadrasi.
Räty, R., & Carlsson-Kanyama, A. (2010). Energy consumption by gender in some European countries. Energy Policy, 38(1), 646-649. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2009.08.010
Salam, A. (2016). Challenges faced by working women in Al Ain city, UAE. International Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, 2(5), 189-197. doi:https://doi.org/10.20469/ijhss.2.20005-5
Stern, P. C. (2000). New environmental theories: Toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 407-424. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00175
Torgler, B., Garcia, V. M. A., & Macintyre, A. (2008). Differences in preferences towards the environment: The impact of a gender, age and parental effect (Working paper no. 2008-1). Center for Research in economics, Management, and the Arts, Zurich, Switzerland.
Uçar, M. B., & Canpolat, E. (2019). Modelling preservice science teachers environment-friendly behaviours. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 44(2), 1-20. doi:https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v44n2.1
Wanninayake, S. (2016). Sri Lankan women migrant workers and role of family and kinship networks. Journal of Advances in Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(2), 14-23. doi:https://doi.org/10.20474/jahss2.1.2
Wehrmeyer, W., & McNeil, M. (2000). Activists, pragmatists, technophiles and tree-huggers? Gender differences in employees’ environmental attitudes. Journal of Business Ethics, 28(3), 211-222. doi:https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1006253212744
Xiao, C., & Hong, D. (2010). Gender differences in environmental behaviors in China. Population and Environment, 32(1), 88-104. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11111-010-0115-z
Zelezny, L. C., Chua, P.-P., & Aldrich, C. (2000). New ways of thinking about environmentalism: Elaborating on gender differences in environmentalism. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 443-457. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00177
Zimmerman, D. (2001). The avifauna of the kakamega forest, western Kenya, including a bird population study. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 149(6), 257-339.
Published
2020-06-19
Section
Articles
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