Women and socio-economic transformation in Kenya, 1850-1963:: a case study of the abogusii

This M.A. Thcsis is a study basecl 011 Gusii women a11Cl socio-econornic transformalio11 bctwcen  1850 and 1961. ft analyses the integration of pre-colonial Gusii women'.s socio- economic roles with the colonial soc.:io-economy. The establishment of a colonial economy ami political orcler generally hacl the effect of destahilizing the position of women both socially and economically. Major sources of change included the i11elivid1mlizatio11,, of land ownership in men's 1mmes, and the recnrilment of male labour to the settler cconomy, cash crop procl11ctio11 und formai cd11catio11. Whilc colo11ial land reform:,; cle11iecl women lheir tradilioiml access to and conlrol of land, instit11tionalizatio11 of wage migration for male adults lwd the gencral effect of co11siclerably i11crcasing women's workload. The i1r1positio11 of the hut tax and abolition. of cattle villages (ehisarnte) by the colo11ial administration compelled G11sii 111e11 to seek wage labour outsicte lheir homes so as lo
raise money for tax payment. By 1940s a large m,mber or G11sii men werc 0111 on 111igrn111 labour, leavihg their wives with incrcascd agricultmal and householcl tasks. (nspite of their labour. colonial policies temlccl to marginalise women 1101 011ly in cash crop production b11t also i11 formai eclm:atinr1. G11sii won1c11 wcre, however, presenled with new socio-economic opportunities and opc11i11gs in tcnns of increasccl marketing and kgal institutions for the aclvm1ccnient of thcir inlerests ami scxmlli1y rights. l'vlarriagc patterns were relatively loosenecl from the tighl grip of trnclitions and eiders