Feminization of Finger Millet in Kericho County in Kenya

Finger millet is an important crop grown in Kenya. Although the crop is mainly grown by women, little is known about gender issues on the crop’s value chain. The objective of the study was to examine gender issues in finger millet value chain in Kericho County in Kenya. Data were collected through key informant interviews, focused group discussions and a survey that covered 315 households selected through systematic sampling. The household data were analyzed through descriptive statistics using the Harvard analytical framework. The main findings showed that women performed most of the crop’s labor intensive activities yet they had less access to land. The study recommends designing of gender responsive technologies to reduce women’s work burden and increase productivity.