Women in monogamous marriages more empowered than cohabiting unions, KNBS survey shows

The report, which outlines findings from the Women’s Economic Empowerment Index (WEEI), indicates that women in monogamous marriages recorded an empowerment level of 41.1 per cent, compared to 37.6 per cent among women living together as if married.

Women in polygamous unions recorded a lower empowerment level of 27.2 per cent, while separated, divorced and widowed women stood at 19.3 per cent — a trend the survey links to possible financial and social difficulties after marital dissolution.

KNBS said WEEI was built around three core concepts: resources — access to economic opportunities, assets and financial services; agency — women’s ability to make decisions and exercise autonomy; and achievements — outcomes of empowerment including wellbeing and economic independence.

By age, women aged 35–59 posted the highest empowerment levels at 44.4 per cent, followed by women aged 25–34 at 38.8 per cent. Younger women aged 18–24 recorded 20.7 per cent, while those aged 60 years and above stood at 27.0 per cent.

County data cited in the survey shows Migori had the highest proportion of economically empowered women at 58.1 per cent, followed by Nyandarua (58.0 per cent), Siaya (56.4 per cent), Kiambu and Bomet (51.4 per cent each), Kirinyaga and Machakos (50.8 per cent each) and Laikipia (50.0 per cent).

Wajir and Mandera recorded the lowest empowerment levels at 1.4 per cent and 1.6 per cent, respectively.

KNBS said the WEEI framework is grounded in established research on women’s empowerment, including the Kabeer (1999) model, which conceptualises empowerment as the process through which individuals gain the ability to make strategic life choices.

The survey adopted a cross-sectional design covering all 47 counties, targeting women aged 18 years and above. It used Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) tools to collect information on areas including employment, financial inclusion, asset ownership, digital engagement, mobility, social participation, gender-based violence and psychological wellbeing.

Out of selected households, 15,189 were eligible for the WEEI module and 14,589 were successfully interviewed. At the individual level, 15,920 women were interviewed out of 19,497 eligible women, KNBS said.

The bureau said women’s economic empowerment remains critical for inclusive growth and sustainable development, but warned that significant inequalities persist across regions and population groups.

“The findings underscore that while progress has been made in advancing women’s economic empowerment in Kenya, significant inequalities persist across regions and population groups,” the report stated.

KNBS called for targeted policy actions to improve access to resources, strengthen women’s agency and expand economic opportunities.