VALIDATING WOMEN’S KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES A Case Study of Women’s Experiences and Food Security in Kenya

Abstract

This paper aims at demonstrating that women’s experiences and knowledge about food security are critical in order to create all inclusive and more comprehensive policies not only in food security but also in other areas of importance as well. The paper is guided by a feminist theoretical framework that sees women as the starting point. It further argues that women’s knowledge and experiences have remained invisible and underutilized by policy makers and development workers. The paper is also guided by an appreciation of the fact that research methods have themselves been products of a male knowledge development process, and therefore, have enhanced exclusion and marginalization of women’s perspectives. The desire, therefore, to identify research methods that allow researchers to access women’s knowledge is a critical factor in this research which chose to use women friendly methodologies such as oral testimonies and focus group discussions that allow women to tell their story in the way they know best.