TY - JOUR

T1 - Women's Changing Opportunities and Aspirations Amid Male Outmigration: Insights from Makueni County, Kenya

AU - Crossland, Mary

AU - Paez Valencia, Ana Maria

AU - Pagella, Tim

AU - Mausch, Kai

AU - Harris, Dave

AU - Dilley, Luke

AU - Winowiecki, Leigh

PY - 2021/8

Y1 - 2021/8

N2 - In Makueni County, Kenya, an area experiencing intensifying migration flows, we investigate the aspired futures of rural men and women using a novel methodology combining a narrative-based survey tool, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. Our findings indicate that, in the absence of men and presence of norms restricting women's movement out of rural life, women are becoming increasingly engaged in farm management. Women’s aspirational narratives focused on commercialising farm activities, likely reflecting their changing agricultural opportunity space and new realities as farm managers. We highlight that only considering aspirations at the household level overlooks differing individual contributions, agency over various household income streams and individuals’ changing roles throughout life. Based on our findings, we make recommendations for further aspirations research including explicit consideration of intrahousehold heterogeneity and how individual strategies and aspirations interrelate and are negotiated at the household level to build an overall livelihood strategy.

AB - In Makueni County, Kenya, an area experiencing intensifying migration flows, we investigate the aspired futures of rural men and women using a novel methodology combining a narrative-based survey tool, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. Our findings indicate that, in the absence of men and presence of norms restricting women's movement out of rural life, women are becoming increasingly engaged in farm management. Women’s aspirational narratives focused on commercialising farm activities, likely reflecting their changing agricultural opportunity space and new realities as farm managers. We highlight that only considering aspirations at the household level overlooks differing individual contributions, agency over various household income streams and individuals’ changing roles throughout life. Based on our findings, we make recommendations for further aspirations research including explicit consideration of intrahousehold heterogeneity and how individual strategies and aspirations interrelate and are negotiated at the household level to build an overall livelihood strategy.

KW - Smallholder agriculture

KW - Agency

KW - Gender relations

KW - Generation

KW - Intrahousehold dynamics

KW - Livelihood strategies

KW - Feminisation

U2 - 10.1057/s41287-021-00362-8

DO - 10.1057/s41287-021-00362-8

M3 - Article

VL - 33

SP - 910

EP - 932

JO - Journal of Development Research

JF - Journal of Development Research

SN - 0957-8811

IS - 4

ER -