History and Autobiographies

In most societies in different parts of the world, there are gender inequalities in access to productive resources such as land, and other social, economic, and environmental resources that are critical for people’s sustenance. However, in many instances, not much research has been conducted on those critical gender issues and perceived unfairness in the ownership, access, and utilization of critical societal resources, particularly, in Africa in general, and Kenya in particular. In this regard, the need to improve access to land and strengthen women’s land rights in Africa provided the main rationale for undertaking this research, with specific reference to the Gusii of Western Kenya. In particular, the book examines the changing and/or evolving responses of women over time to land access, ownership, control, and usage. Further, the book analyzes the relationship between indigenous land tenure systems and gendered relations; and the effects of colonial land policies on gendered relations. It also examines gender rights with respect to land access and ownership in the post-colonial period in Kisii. Overall, this study provides pertinent information on the following critical issues. What was the relationship between pre-colonial land tenure systems and gender relations in Kisii? What were the effects of colonial and post-colonial land policies on gender relations in Gusii? How did Gusii women respond to gendered land rights and ownership in the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods?