Emergent Agency

The Emergent Agency research project in a time of covid19 aimed to gather and analyse case studies and experiences of rural widows and their collective agency, looking for patterns and opportunities. It aimed to understand the important and potentially positive side effects of the pandemic and the response it triggered among widows in Siaya.

Research questions included:

• What examples of individual and collective agency are emerging?
• What is surprising and why?
• What potential do these examples have to upset patriarchal systems and contribute to new forms of power distribution and influence to change structures?
• How can these experiences reshape how the state, donors and NGOs [?] understand needs, vulnerabilities and agencies?

Our findings were documented in multiple forms that included blogs, Interviews and writing stories, Photography/video stories as well as pod casts interviews.  Links below:-

Blogs:

COVID19: WIDOWHOOD ‘AGENCY’, EXPOSED BURDENS, CULTURE & GENDER ALLIES – Views & Voices (oxfam.org.uk)

COVID-19: WIDOWS SPEAK ON DEAD JOBS, VIRTUAL FUNERALS & THE NEW NORMAL IN SIAYA – Views & Voices (oxfam.org.uk)

———————————————————————FINAL REPORT————————————————————————
FINAL REPORT: THE EXPERIENCES OF RURAL WIDOW LEADERS IN SIAYA COUNTY IN THE TIME OF COVID19

Interviews

• Interview between MWC Founder Carolyn Moor, Rona Foundation Founder Roseline Orwa and Police Commandant Siaya County, Mr. Francis Kooli – (297) Widow Champion Interview: Kenya Africa – YouTube