Women political participation: a case of Bomachoge Constituency

Women constitute more than half of the world population yet they are marginalised in political participation globally. Although literature on politics in Africa is growing the vast majority of detailed research has addressed women political engagements at the national level while grassroot level has received minimal scholarly attention. This work studies women's political participation in Bomachoge constituency in Kenya from 1963 - 2013. The study interrogates women's participation in electoral politics as candidates and political office holders at civic and parliamentary levels. The study examines the patterns of women political participation and the structural impediments to their participation at a micro level. The study was flexible in retrospect to cover periods prior to 1963 particularly the colonial and pre-colonial period on the eve of colonialism. Bomachoge for purpose of this study was limited to the current Bomachoge-Borabu and Bomachoge-Chache constituencies formerly referred as Bomachoge constituency. This study employs Gender and patriarchy as theoretical approaches in the analysis of women's political place in Bomachoge.