Domestic Solid Waste and Health related Challenges among men and women: a case of Kiandutu informal settlement, Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

Health is a life component that cannot be ignored. In developing economies, the migration of people, both men and women, from rural areas into urban areas results from multiple factors. The social dynamics that include a search for a better life take the lead. This dire and never-ending relocation has led to an ever-increasing mushrooming of informal settlements in the urban areas. Among the devastating consequences is the increase in domestic solid waste and its poor management. This poor domestic solid waste management health challenges is coupled with gendered socialization and perceptions, some knowledge and practices. Social Context Theory was used to guide this study. The theory assumes that there exists flexibility of gender within a defined context. The study employed exploratory research design whose choice allowed an in-depth view of the generation of both qualitative and quantitative data. Random sampling of the villages and purposive sampling of the respondents were used to identify the study sample. A total number of 264 households was used as the sample size. This was a representation of 10% of all the households in the randomly sampled villages with each village being allocated a number of the respondents in regard to gender. The unit of analysis was the household, with the household heads, male and female being the respondents. Key informants were also considered in the study. They included the village elders, community health workers and the local administration. Tools that were considered for the generation of data included observation checklists, guided questionnaires and interview guides. Qualitative data was thematically coded and analysed using SPSS V24. The study concluded that early gendered socialisation has the capacity to contribute to poor methods household solid waste for both men and women, hence contributing to health challenges. The study also observed that inadequate knowledge among men and women in the management of solid waste was linked to inequitable health challenges experienced by both genders in informal settlements. The social realities plug into the dominant arrangements of gendered social behaviour that have great capacity to affect individuals’ health. The findings suggest that gender-sensitive policies can be used to promote community awareness creation and education to modify the behaviour of men and women in protecting their own lives in terms of health