ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the evolution of the women's movement in Kenya from precolonial times to the present. It considers the women's movement to be synonymous with the emergence of women's groups. The chapter provides a brief overview of Kenyan political and economic history and its impact on women. It also examines these group activities at three levels: the women's group movement, largely rural and grassroots in nature; formal women's organizations; and the actions of individual women. The chapter discusses the role played by the dominant patriarchal structures and existing sociocultural practices in shaping the women's movement. It reviews the role of donor agencies and Western development approaches in shaping the movement. The women left to form their own group, the Mumbi Central Association, named for the mythical mother of the Agikuyu. In the postcolonial context the movement has become more diversified. Kenyan society is characterized by overarching patriarchal dominance and repressive sociocultural practices.
