Changing Gender Roles in the Fishing Industry in Homa Bay County, Kenya 1900 to 2012: a Descriptive Study Eunice Adhiambo Okello
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CHANGING GENDER ROLES IN THE FISHING INDUSTRY IN HOMA BAY COUNTY, KENYA 1900 TO 2012: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY EUNICE ADHIAMBO OKELLO A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in History of Egerton University EGERTON UNIVERSITY APRIL, 2017 DECLARATION AND APPROVAL Declaration This thesis is my original work and has not been submitted for examination in any other university. ______________________________ Date: _________________________ Eunice Adhiambo Okello AMII/2633/10 APPROVAL This thesis has been submitted with our approval as university supervisors. _____________________________Date:_________________________ Dr. Damaris Parsitau Department of Philosophy, History and Religious Studies Egerton University ______________________________ Date:________________________ Dr. Joshia Osamba Department of Humanities KaratinaUniversity ii COPYRIGHT © 2017, Eunice Adhiambo Okello All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author or Egerton University. iii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my parents, Pastor Joseph Okello and Mama Carren Okello for their unending parental and spiritual support as well as to my beloved husband, Mathew Onyango for his unrelenting moral and financial support since I started this course. His patience and psychological support during the research pushed me through. Finally, to our beloved daughters, Edith, Caren and sons, Cantrell and Hudson for their understanding and support during the vigorous process of the course work and thesis writing when I could not offer them full motherly attention. Lots of love. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Apart from my personal determination and financial sacrifice, this thesis is a product of the joint effort by many people. First and foremost, my sincere gratitude goes to my supervisors, Dr. Damaris Parsitau and Dr. Joshia Osamba for their tireless, sustained and constructive scholarly guidance and assistance towards the completion of this work. They read through the work and provided substantive criticisms which aided in improving its quality. I am particularly indebted to Prof. Reuben M. Matheka and Dr. Isaac Tarus for their scholarly support that saw the beginning of this work. I also wish to express my gratitude to the teaching staff of the Departmentof Philosophy, History and Religion of Egerton University for all the pieces of advice that they offered to me right from my course work. I am also grateful to the Archivists at the Kenya National Archives in Nairobi and to the Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Homa Bay and Kisumu for their assistance. I owe special gratitude to all the informants for making this study a reality by sharing and exchanging information and offering pieces of advice on the study. In this regard, I wish to mention Jackline Okado for her support with computer processing. Finally, thanks to my family for their comfort, peaceful atmosphere and the encouragement they accorded me during the entire study. v ABSTRACT Fishing is one of the oldest occupations of mankind. Studies done on gender roles in the fishing industry in Lake Victoria in Kenya indicate that traditionally, both men and women were involved in fisheries but each performed different roles which were culturally defined. This study focused on the fishing industry in Lake Victoria specifically Kendu Bay and Homa Lime fishing bays located in Homa Bay County of Kenya. The development of fisheries in Homa Bay County is faced with several challenges such as Lake pollution, extinction of certain indigenous species, overfishing, and environmental destruction including the water hyacinth. These problems have been located in the social, economic and political systems that existed in the pre-colonial, colonial and post colonial times from 1900 – 2012. The Luo fishers had their own indigenous techniques of fishing, methods of preservation and systems of management. The objectives of the study were to describe the nature and patterns of the changing gender roles in the fisheries in Homa Bay County, determine the major factors that influence the gender roles and establish the challenges faced by the fishers. The study used the historical method to evaluate and analyse data obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data was obtained from the Kenya National Archives and from various Government reports on fisheries development in Kenya. Data was also gathered from oral interviews with relevant respondents including boat crew, engine owners, fishermen, fish traders, retired fisherfolk, kiosk owners and Beach Management Unit officials. Secondary data was obtained from books, journal articles, and the internet and newspaper articles in relation to fisheries. The study employed the theory of feminism to demonstrate how men and women should complement each other in their specific roles in order to achieve their goals since both are users of the fish product. The study established that during the pre-colonial period there was plenty of indigenous fish which was mainly for subsistence. Barter trade was conducted at local and regional markets. The fishing industry witnessed many changes during the colonisation of Kenya such as new fishing nets, motorised boats, new fishing regulations and the introduction of different fish species.The findings of the study are as follows: The small scale fishers continued to struggle to survive commercially yet remained voiceless and marginalised. Lack of capital left most retail fishers poor while the rich fishers prospered. The experiences of the fishers in Homa Bay County as spelt out in this study could be used by policy makers in the fisheries sector to come up with strategies that could include all fishers in order to solve the problems affecting the Lake Victoria fisheries. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration and Approval .......................................................................................................... ii Dedication ................................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgement ..................................................................................................................... v Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... vii List of Abbreviations and Acronyms ......................................................................................... x Definition of Key Terms ........................................................................................................... xi Glossary of Dholuo Terms ....................................................................................................... xii Map of Homa Bay County ..................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER ONE ...................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background to the Study ...................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Objectives ............................................................................................................................ 5 1.4 Research Questions .............................................................................................................. 6 1.5 Justification of the Study ..................................................................................................... 6 1.6 Scope and Limitations of the Study ..................................................................................... 7 1.7 Literature Review................................................................................................................. 7 1.7.2 Nature and Patterns of Gender Roles in the Fishing IndustryGlobally ........................ 8 1.7.3 Nature and Patterns of Gender Roles in the Fishing Industry in East Africa ................. 11 1.8. Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................... 17 1.9. Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 19 1.10 Ethical Considerations ..................................................................................................... 22 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................... 23 TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES IN THE FISHING INDUSTRY IN HOMA BAY COUNTY 1700 – 1900 ........................................................................................................... 23 2.1. Overview ........................................................................................................................... 23 2.2. The Pre- Colonial Background to the People of Homa Bay