Patriarchy and Electoral Processes in Kenya: A Study of Women’s Agency in Political Participation in Homa Bay County

Abstract

This study aims to assess the impact of patriarchal perceptions on women’s agency in electoral processes in Homa Bay County, Kenya. The results of the research reveal that indeed cultural patriarchal perceptions influence, to the largest extent, the participation of women in political processes. It reveals that the interpretation of leadership is still majorly pegged on gender rather than individual capability and men continued to dominate the decision-making spaces. The major recommendation from the study is that the government needs to encourage political goodwill to ensure the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule in all elective and appointive posts and strengthen the independence of electoral institutions. There is a need for women, with support
from civil society, to mobilize themselves as a recognizable force that can influence political outcomes as an electorate.