The Influence of Socio-Economic Constraints on Women's Economic Empowerment in Kenya: Evidence of Wage Disparities?

This study presents an econometric analysis of socio-economic factors which influence wage inequalities in Kenya. This study tests the hypothesis that women experience cross sectoral gender wage disparities which are influenced by cultural and social expectations. Linear, logistic, factorial regressions models and the Mann-Whitney test were utilized to identify statistical determinants of the gender-wage gap through disproportionate educational outcomes, labor outcomes, and social outcomes. The outcomes reflect that education and other demographic factors play a pivotal role in the wage and employment outcomes for women in Kenya. The results suggest that cultural implications are the main influence to the socio-economic constraints on women in Kenya as opposed to men. The study recommends that government policies and investments in instruments for female autonomy should be utilized to reduce the prevalence of gender-wage inequalities in Kenya. Key words: wage inequalities, labor outcomes, socio-economic constraints.