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Gender Inequality, Poverty and Human Development in Kenya: Main Indicators, Trends and Limitations

Author

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  • Kiriti, Tabitha
  • Tisdell, Clement A.

Abstract

Indicators of gender inequality, poverty and human development in Kenya are examined. Significant and rising incidence of absolute poverty occurs in Kenya and women are more likely to be in poverty than men. Female/male ratios in Kenyan decision-making institutions are highly skewed against women and they experience unfavourable enrolment ratios in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. The share of income earned by women is much lower than men's share. General Kenyan indicators highlight declining GDP per capita, increased poverty rates especially for women, reduced life expectancy, a narrowing of the difference in female/male life expectancy rates, increased child mortality rates and an increase in the female child mortality rates. This deterioration results in an increased socio-economic burden on women, not adequately captured in the HPI, HDI, GDI and GEM. This paper advocates the use of household level gender disaggregated data because much gender inequality occurs in and emanates from the household level where culture plays a very important role in allocation of resources and decision-making. Because most human development indicators are aggregates or averages, they can be misleading. They need to be supplemented by distributional and disaggregated data as demonstrated in the Kenyan case. The importance is emphasised of studying coping mechanisms of household/families for dealing with economic hardship and other misfortunes, such AIDS.

Suggested Citation

  • Kiriti, Tabitha & Tisdell, Clement A., 2003. "Gender Inequality, Poverty and Human Development in Kenya: Main Indicators, Trends and Limitations," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 105587, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:uqsese:105587
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.105587
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tisdell, Clement A., 2001. "Globalisation, Development and Poverty in the Pacific Islands: The Situation of the Least Developed Pacific Island Nations," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100208, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    2. Tisdell, Clement A. & Roy, Kartik C. & Ghose, Ananda, 2002. "A Report on Socioeconomic Attributes and Gender Inequality in Kondh-Dominated Villages: A Comparative Analysis of Tribals and Non-Tribals in the Phulbani District, Orissa, India," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100213, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    3. Tisdell, Clement A., 2000. "The Development of the Solomon Islands: An Analysis of Trends, Issues and Policies," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100033, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    4. Tisdell, Clement A., 2000. "The Development of Kiribati: An Analysis of Trends, Issues and Policies," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100031, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    5. Kiriti, Tabitha & Tisdell, Clement A., 2003. "The Relationship between Commercial Agriculture and Food Availability to Kenyan Farm Families: A Case Study," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 105585, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    6. Kiriti, Tabitha & Tisdell, Clement A., 2003. "Commercialisation of Agriculture in Kenya: Case Study of Policy Bias and Food Purchases by Farm Households," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 105584, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    7. Tisdell, Clement A., 2000. "The Development of Tuvalu: An Analysis of Trends, Issues and Policies," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100034, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    8. Clem Tisdell & Gopal Regmi, 2005. "Prejudice against female children: economic and cultural explanations, and Indian evidence," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(6), pages 541-553, June.
    9. Tisdell, Clement A. & Regmi, Gopal, 2000. "Push-and-Pull Migration and Satisficing versus Optimising Migratory Behaviour: A Review and Nepalese Evidence," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100205, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    10. Tabitha W. Kiriti & Clem Tisdell, 2005. "Family size, economics and child gender preference: a case study in the Nyeri district of Kenya," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(6), pages 492-509, June.
    11. Tisdell, Clement A. & Roy, Kartik C. & Regmi, Gopal, 2000. "Socioeconomic Determinants of the Intra-family Status of Wives in Rural India: Analysis and Empirical Evidence," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100206, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    12. Tisdell, Clement A., 2000. "Gender Inequality in India: Evidence from a Rural Survey in West Bengal," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100037, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    13. Tabitha W. Kiriti, Clem Tisdell, Kartik C. Roy, 2003. "Female participation in decision making in agricultural households in Kenya: empirical findings," International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 2(2), pages 103-124.
    14. Tisdell, Clement A., 1999. "Poverty and Economically Deprived Women and Children: Theories, Emerging Policy Issues and Development," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 90632, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    15. Kiriti, Tabitha & Tisdell, Clement A., 2002. "Gender, Marital Status, Farm Size and other Factors Influencing the Extent of Cash Cropping in Kenya: A Case Study," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 102261, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    16. Kiriti, Tabitha & Tisdell, Clement A., 2003. "Marital Status, Farm Size and other Influences On the Extent of Cash Cropping in Kenya: A Household Case Study," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 105586, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    17. Tisdell, Clement A. & Roy, Kartik C. & Ghose, Ananda, 2002. "Economic Theories of the Family and Discrimination in a Social Context: Entitlements of Kondh Tribal Females in India," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100214, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    18. Tisdell, Clement A., 2000. "Sustainable Development and Human Resource Capital," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100036, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    19. Kiriti, Tabitha & Tisdell, Clement A., 2001. "Migration of Husbands, Remittances and Agricultural Production: Impacts when Wives Head Households in Rural Kenya," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100211, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    20. Tisdell, Clement A. & Roy, Kartik C. & Ghose, Ananda, 1999. "Sen's Theory of Entitlement and the Deprivation of Females: An Assessment with Indian Illustrations," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 91375, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    21. Tisdell, Clement A., 2000. "The Development of Samoa: An Analysis of Trends, Issues and Policies," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100032, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    22. Tisdell, Clement A. & Roy, Kartik C., 2000. "The Socio-Economics of Gender Issues in Rural India: Results of Interviews in Three Villages and a Forest Meeting in Eastern India," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100030, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    23. Tisdell, Clement A. & Roy, Kartik C. & Ghose, Ananda, 2001. "Villagers and the Use and Conservation of Indian Forests: The Role of Joint Forest Management," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100207, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    24. Tisdell, Clement A., 2000. "The Development of Vanuatu: An Analysis of Trends, Issues and Policies," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 100035, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
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    Cited by:

    1. Clement Allan Tisdell & Serge Svizzero, 2015. "The Malthusian Trap and Development in Pre-Industrial Societies: A View Differing from the Standard One," Working Papers hal-02152050, HAL.
    2. Muthini, Davis Nguthi, 2015. "An assessment of mango famer's choice of marketing channels in Makueni, Kenya," Research Theses 204866, Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    3. Mohammad A. Hossain & Clement A. Tisdell, 2005. "Closing the gender gap in Bangladesh: inequality in education, employment and earnings," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(5), pages 439-453, May.
    4. Tisdell, Clement A. & Regmi, Gopal, 2004. "Economic Social and Cultural Influences on the Status and Wellbeing of Indian Rural Wives," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 106952, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    5. Mohammad, Hossain & Tisdell, Clement A., 2003. "Major Demographic Changes in Bangladesh and their Socio-economic Correlates: Analysis of Trends," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 106950, University of Queensland, School of Economics.

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