Border Conflicts and Socio-Cultural Roles of Women Among the Kuria East Community in Migori County, Kenya

Border conflicts fundamentally reshape women’s socio-cultural roles in traditional communities, yet limited research examines these transformations in African agricultural settings. This study investigated how territorial disputes and resource conflicts affect women’s socio-cultural roles among the Kuria East Community in Migori County, Kenya. The study employed Feminist Conflict Theory with a descriptive mixed-methods approach. The target population comprises 42,000 Kuria women aged 18+ in conflict-affected areas, with a sample size of 224 respondents. Data collection involved structured questionnaires administered to women participants, semi-structured interviews with key informants including community leaders and local administrators, and documentary review of relevant reports and records. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns related to role transformations. Findings reveal that border conflicts severely disrupted women’s socio-cultural lives, with 67.8% experiencing affected family relationships and 59.9% reporting reduced ceremonial participation. The conflicts forced substantial changes in women’s approach to children’s education (59.9%) and altered cultural transmission practices (54.9%), threatening cultural preservation as women traditionally serve as key custodians of Kuria cultural practices. Despite significant disruptions, women gained minimal formal leadership roles (4.0%), revealing persistent gender hierarchies during crisis periods. The study concludes that border conflicts systematically erode women’s traditional cultural authority while failing to create meaningful empowerment opportunities, resulting in increased burdens without corresponding gains in formal power. The research recommends developing comprehensive cultural preservation policies, reforming peace-building processes to include women’s voices, and prioritizing community-based approaches that support women’s roles as cultural custodians.