CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives LIVELIHOODS OF FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS IN NAMUWONGO SLUM, KAMPALA UGANDA. NALULE WINNIEFRED Master of Philosophy in Gender and Development SPRING 2015 Faculty of Psychology Department of Health Promotion and Development i DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my family, especially my late grandmother Kawanguzi Aida who instilled me the values of patience and perseverance. ii Acknowledgement. I am thankful to each and every one who supported me during my study. I thank God who gave me good health and wisdom to go through this study. The Norwegian Government through Lånekassen, for giving me the opportunity and finances to study abroad and gain international experience at their expense. I thank the women, who participated in my study and shared their stories to make this thesis a success. My sincere thanks also goes to my gatekeepers, who greatly assisted me during my fieldwork in Namuwongo. I also express my gratitude to the faculty and administrative staff of GAD, Prof. Haldis Haukanes, Kristin Senneset, and especially my supervisor, Tone K Sissener. Thank you very much Tone for your patience, suggestions and guidance. I am sincerely grateful for your immense support. Victor Chimuhutu and Padmaja Barua thank you so much you were also very instrumental through out this journey and I am grateful for the support you gave me. My sincere thanks go to Thera Mjaaland for the valuable comments and support during the write up. I thank all staff at Gender and Development (GAD) program for all the assistance. I thank my classmates for making the journey worthwhile. Last but not least I thank my family and friends, for the love, support and encouragement. I am thankful to my Mother and father, my mentor Lydia Kawanguzi, you are the best. You raised me well and I can stand through anything – Thank you! Nalule Winniefred. Bergen, Norway iii Abstract This study focuses on the livelihoods of female-headed households (FHHs) in Namuwongo slum in Kampala Uganda. The trajectory of FHHs to Namuwongo slum, their livelihood challenges, and their livelihood strategies for survival are explored. Data material was collected through qualitative methods, such as in–depth interviews and observations. The Sustainable Livelihood Approach and Empowerment were adopted as theoretical frameworks for analysis. There are a number of reasons as to why some slum households are female headed. These reasons include widowhood and separation and divorce. Extreme poverty appears is a common feature among FHHs. Despite low levels of education and lack of regular employment, leaving the FHHs vulnerable; this study demonstrates that their ability to improvise alternatives for their survival is surprisingly strong. FHHs both run informal business and involve themselves in casual work to create income for their households. FHHs also use human capital in the form of family labor as a way of securing financial capital. Some also involve children in income-generating activities as a livelihood strategy. Social capital among the FHHs is significant because they share information, ideas, and livelihood resources to build their assets and find solutions to their problems. Neighbours and relatives are also used as a strategy to lessen financial constraints. The female heads of households are members of local savings groups and projects, such as the sisterhood project that offer financial assistance to their households. These projects also aid them in sending their children to school. The results of this study indicate that while FHHs manage to get by, they face some challenges. These include limited resources, lack of decent housing and infrastructure, and health risks entailed in living in the slum, such as lack of enough clean and piped water, poor drainage and flooding after heavy rainfalls. iv ACRONYMS DFID Department for International Development DRC Democratic Republic of Congo FHHs Female-headed households FHoHs Female heads of households HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome IAP Inappropriate Adaptive Preferences KCCA Kampala Capital City Authority LC Local council LRA Lord’s Resistance Army MHHs Male-headed households MHoHs Male heads of households NGO Non Government Organisation NSD Norwegian Social Science Data Services SLA Sustainable livelihood approach UBOS Uganda Bureau of Statistics UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund OHS October Health Survery WHO World Health Organisation v Table of contents DEDICATION .............................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgement. ................................................................................................................ iii Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... iv ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................. v Table of contents ..................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND .................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Problem statement ................................................................................................................ 2 1.1.2 Purpose of the study ............................................................................................................. 4 1.1.3 Motivation for the study ...................................................................................................... 4 1.1.4 Brief profile on female-headed households in Uganda ............................................. 5 1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ...................................................................................... 5 1.2.1 Uganda-country profile ........................................................................................................ 5 1.2.2 Brief political history of Uganda ....................................................................................... 6 1.2.3 The growth of slums in Uganda ......................................................................................... 6 1.2.4 Presentation of the study area .......................................................................................... 6 1.3 Definition of key term: household .............................................................................. 7 1.4 Main objective of the study ........................................................................................... 7 1.4.1 Specific research objectives ............................................................................................... 7 1.5 Structure of the thesis ..................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTS ............................................. 9 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Household headship: A general overview ................................................................ 9 2.3 The phenomenon of female-headed households: A global overview .......... 11 2.3.1 Causes of FHHs ................................................................................................................................... 11 2.3.2 Challenges of FHHs ........................................................................................................................... 12 2.3.3 Livelihood and/ or survival strategies of FHHs ................................................................... 13 2.4 Studies from Africa ................................................................................................................. 14 2.4.1 Causes of FHHs ................................................................................................................................... 14 2.4.2 Challenges of FHHs: African perspectives ............................................................................. 16 2.4.3 Livelihood strategies of FHHs: an African perspective ..................................................... 18 2.5 Ugandan Perspectives ............................................................................................................ 20 2.5.1 Causes of FHHs ................................................................................................................................... 20 2.5.2 Livelihood challenges of FHHs .................................................................................................... 20 2.5.3 Perspectives on the livelihood strategies of FHHs ............................................................. 22 2.6 Contributions of my study .......................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................ 24 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 24 3.2 The Sustainable Livelihood Approach ...................................................................