Women’s Participation and Community Project Success: Evidence from Wajir South Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Women’s participation in community development is widely recognized as a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable progress. In Kenya, efforts to mainstream gender in local development have gained momentum, yet disparities persist in practice. This study assessed the role of women’s participation in the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of community projects in Wajir South Sub-County. Anchored on Human Capital Theory, Liberal Feminism Theory, and Glass Ceiling Theory, the study adopted a descriptive research design and employed mixed-methods approach. The target population was 20 community-based organizations across five wards of in Wajir South Sub-County. purposive sampling was used to select 60 respondents from the 10 community-based organizations from the five wards. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. Additionally, Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 key informants comprising CBO leaders and local government officials.  The findings revealed that women’s participation in the planning and implementation stages had a statistically significant and positive impact on community project outcomes. Specifically, women’s involvement in planning yielded a coefficient of 0.246 (p = 0.010), while participation in implementation had a stronger influence with a coefficient of 0.414 (p = 0.001). However, participation in the monitoring and evaluation phase was not statistically significant (coefficient = -0.036, p = 0.703). Qualitative responses highlighted key barriers such as limited education, cultural norms, and gender stereotypes that inhibit women’s full involvement, particularly in monitoring and evaluation. The study concludes that meaningful participation of women in planning and implementation enhances project effectiveness and sustainability. It recommends targeted strategies to strengthen women’s inclusion across all project phases, with emphasis on addressing socio-cultural and institutional barriers.