Title: Widowhood, Unmet Needs, and Sexual Agency: Expanding the Analysis of Women's Protest Against Alcohol in Narok West
Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius, Asiimwe Isaac Kazaara
Volume: 10
Issue: 4
Pages: 123-130
Publication Date: 2026/04/28
Abstract:
This study examined widowhood, unmet needs, and sexual agency as drivers of women's protest against alcohol in Narok West Sub-County, Kenya. Situated within a broader framework of gender-based vulnerability and socio-economic marginalization, the study sought to understand how alcohol abuse in households headed by widows and other women intersected with unmet reproductive, economic, and psychosocial needs, ultimately catalyzing organized protest movements among women. A mixed-methods cross-sectional design was employed, incorporating structured interviews with 320 women respondents purposively and randomly selected from six wards. Quantitative data were analyzed using univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate chi-square and Pearson correlation tests, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and exploratory factor analysis to uncover latent dimensions of grievance and agency. The study found that 68.4% of widowed women reported severe alcohol-related household disruptions, and factor analysis revealed three dominant latent constructs: economic deprivation, psychosocial distress, and restricted sexual agency. PCA confirmed that unmet economic needs and denial of sexual autonomy were the strongest predictors of protest participation (eigenvalue = 3.87, explaining 54.2% of total variance). Bivariate analysis established statistically significant associations between widowhood status and protest involvement (?² = 42.31, df = 3, p < 0.001). Regression results indicated that women who experienced alcohol-related economic deprivation were 3.4 times more likely to participate in anti-alcohol demonstrations (OR = 3.41, 95% CI: 2.18-5.33). The study concluded that women's protest against alcohol in Narok West was not merely reactive but constituted a deliberate assertion of agency rooted in the intersection of grief, unmet needs, and denied autonomy. The study recommends community-based support structures for widows, gender-sensitive alcohol policy reforms, and integration of sexual and reproductive health services into anti-alcohol advocacy programs.