Advancing Gender-Transformative Parenting to Improve Early Childhood Development Outcomes in Kakamega County

Abstract

Teenage parenthood continues to pose serious developmental and socioeconomic challenges in Kenya. According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022, 15% of adolescent girls aged 15 -19 have begun childbearing. While this national average remains high, some regions experience significantly greater prevalence. In Western Kenya, and specifically Kakamega County, the situation is especially urgent. Between 2019 and 2022, the county recorded over 58,000 adolescent pregnancies. In 2022 alone, 12,057 cases were reported, placing Kakamega among Kenya's top five counties for adolescent pregnancies (KHIS, 2022). Adolescent mothers in Kakamega face limited access to quality health care, social support, and economic opportunity. They are often forced out of school, stigmatized by their communities, and left to care for their children with little or no involvement from fathers. This situation poses risks not only to the young mothers' well-being, but also to the developmental outcomes of their children. To address these interlinked challenges, the Gender Transformative Skillful Parenting (GTP) Program was introduced. The program promotes equitable caregiving, supports adolescent mental health, and improves early childhood development (ECD) by transforming harmful gender norms that undermine shared parenting