Nature and Trends of Rural Women’s Labour in Subsistence Agriculture During Colonial Period in Samia, Western Kenya

While studies indicate that agriculture is the main source of income for rural households and the main occupation for women, it has been hypothesized that development process in rural areas has marginalized women in the agricultural sector, reducing their productivity and control over resources. This paper examines women’s labour conditions in subsistence agriculture in Samia for which limited studies have been conducted. The study investigates the nature and trends of rural women’s labour in subsistence agriculture in Samia during the colonial period. Discussions in this paper are guided by gendered theory with specific focus on women’s involvement in subsistence agriculture in Samia and the responses of Samia women in their endeavour to produce food during the period of study. The study was conducted in two wards in Samia sub-county, namely Ageng’a/Nanguba and Namboboto/Nambuku through descriptive survey design. Based on this design, interviews were conducted to a sampled population and the respondents were selected purposively in 10 sub-locations that were selected randomly. Findings of this paper are drawn from research carried out among peasant farmers, elderly men and women of ages 60 and above, youths of both gender, women groups involved in subsistence farming, Sub-county agricultural officer, agricultural extension officers, assistant chiefs and Members of County Assembly in Samia Sub-county. Thus, a total of 379 informants were interviewed. The study relied on, semi structured interviews, in- depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions to obtain primary data. Other data sources such as archives were used to obtain relevant information. Secondary information was collected through review of books, journals, internet, dissertations, theses and government records. To exhaustively analyze the history of rural women’s labour in subsistence agriculture in Samia, qualitative analysis of data was done using thematic and content analysis to develop comprehensive description of data under study. The study established that farm labour during the colonial period was differentiated by gender and type of commodity produced. In this way, men were mainly responsible for the production of cash crops like Rice, Sugarcane and groundnuts whereas women were primarily involved in the production of subsistence food crops such as maize, beans, cassava and millet. Nevertheless, the study noted that there was an increase in women participation in subsistence farming during the British Colonial rule in Samia as a result of male migrant labour; the number of men leaving subsistence farming steadily increased. Based on the results of the findings, the study constitutes an important body of knowledge for policy formulation in agriculture in addressing issues affecting women in agricultural production and also for scholars in identifying the gaps that have not been filled in their studies.