Collective Action in Women Groups and Household Food Security

Climate change and the consequent droughts are major challenges and threats to household food security in arid and semi arid Lands of Kenya where majority of small-scale farmers, mostly women, rely on rain fed agriculture for their livelihoods. Women play a crucial role as primary food producers and custodians of household food security. They however face many constraints in their endeavor to secure food for their households. For example, women lack access to extension services, land and credit. Since climate change disproportionately affects the poor globally, and women form majority of the world poor, they are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change including droughts. Nevertheless, women are not just helpless victims of the vagaries of nature as they have demonstrated unique knowledge and expertise in generating appropriate adaptive strategies to address their food security challenges through collective action in groups.Groups provide mutual support, pool resources for common good and act as safety nets to members. This book analyses the influence of collective action in women groups on participants household food security in Mwala Sub-County Kenya.