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Abstract
This study explored the link between gender and collective action participation. Adopting an inter-household gender dynamics approach, this study investigated gendered differentials in participation in efficiency and livelihood-enhancing collective action initiatives (CAIs) between male-headed households (MHHs) and female-headed households (FHHs) in the central region of Kenya. Based on mixed quantitative and qualitative data, the empirical analysis was conducted using the exogenous switching treatment effects model and multivariate probit model. The results reveal significant gender disparities in participation rates in both efficiency and livelihood-enhancing CAIs, with FHHs exhibiting considerably lower participation rates than MHHs. The disparities are linked to varying organizational characteristics of the efficiency and livelihood-enhancing CAIs, alongside observable and unobservable heterogeneity in the characteristics of MHHs and FHHs. The results suggest that the participation rates of the FHHs would have been higher if the coefficients of the FHHs on their observed characteristics had been the same as the returns on the MHHs’ characteristics. Even in that scenario, the participation rates of the FHHs would still have been lower than those of the MHHs due to unobservable characteristics. The findings, therefore, recommend a shift from “one-size-fits-all” policies to context-specific strategies that can concurrently address gender inequality and support the development of CAIs.
Published Version
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