Gender roles and constraints in beekeeping: A case from Kitui County, Kenya
Beekeeping was previously a male-dominated activity, but has become an important economic activity for both men and women
Abstract
Women perform most of the agricultural activities in Kenya, but end up receiving a fraction of the income. The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) implemented the Commercial Insects Programme (CIP) between 2007–2013, to encourage women to participate in beekeeping in the arid and semi-arid regions of Kitui county, eastern Kenya. Crops cannot grow well in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). Beekeeping is, therefore, an important source of income in the three sub-counties of Mwingi in Kitui county where the Acacia tortilis tree grows well and the flowers are rich in nectar for the bees.
The investigators realised that beekeeping is an activity that women in this region could handle well, since caring for the bees and honey harvesting can be done during the day alongside other household chores. In addition, the modern Langstroth hives can be placed on the ground, to avoid having women climb the trees to harvest the honey, thus circumventing this cultural limitation. The investigators collected primary data using a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. Findings show that beekeeping, which was previously a male-dominated activity, has now become an important economic activity in Kitui County for both men and women.
This is an output of the ‘African Reference Laboratory (with Satellite Stations) for the Management of Pollinator Bee Diseases and Pests for Food Security’ project. It is partly funded by the UK Department for International Development, a core donor of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology.
Citation
Mburu P. D. M., Affognon H., Irungu P., Mburu J. and Raina S.K. (2017) Gender roles and constraints in beekeeping: A case from Kitui County, Kenya. Bee World 94, 54–59. doi: 10.1080/0005772X.0002016.1275490.
Links
Gender roles and constraints in beekeeping: A case from Kitui County, Kenya