The Relationship Between Gender and School Pupils’ Practice of Carrying Water from Home to School for Handwashing Practices in Lurambi Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya
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Abstract
This study examines the relationship between gender and the practice of transporting water from home to school to promote handwashing among public primary school students in Lurambi Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya. Despite policy efforts to improve sanitation, gender disparities persist in schools, with girls frequently responsible for bringing water from home due to inadequate school water facilities. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in six administrative wards, with a target population of 14,779 students and head teachers from 12 schools. Taro Yamane's formula was used to calculate a sample size of 389 respondents. Data collection included questionnaires for students and key informant interviews with head teachers, allowing for a combination of quantitative and qualitative insights. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, while qualitative data were processed using content analysis to identify recurring themes. The findings show that girls carry water from home disproportionately due to social expectations and insufficient school infrastructure, which has a negative impact on their attendance and participation in school. In addition, schools with reliable water supplies demonstrated a significant reduction in the need for students to bring water from home, emphasizing the importance of improved infrastructure in promoting equitable hygiene practices. The study concludes that addressing infrastructure gaps and social norms could help to reduce gender disparities in handwashing practices. It is recommended that schools receive adequate funding to improve water infrastructure and implement gender-sensitive policies to alleviate the burden on female students.
Keywords: Gender, School Pupils’ Practice, Carrying Water, Handwashing Practices, Lurambi Sub-County
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