Empowering women for inclusive and sustainable ocean governance: a case study of mangrove conservation in Lamu Island, coastal Kenya

This socio-legal case study, framed by Feminist Political Ecology, examines women’s participation in mangrove governance in Lamu Island, Kenya. The study was undertaken using a qualitative case study approach, drawing on interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, literature review, and policy analysis. Focusing on the Tuhifadhi Mikoko Women’s Group, it analyses how statutory law, customary norms, and institutional practices intersect to shape women’s roles. Qualitative data reveal that despite progressive legal frameworks, patriarchal customs and weak enforcement limit women to tokenistic participation. Although their representation in community forest associations has increased, women hold only 10–15% of leadership roles and seldom influence strategic decisions. However, grassroots initiatives have achieved substantive gains, including planting over 30,000 seedlings, generating microloans from carbon revenues, and partnering with the Kenya Forest Service to support restoration and local monitoring efforts. These actions have advanced restoration and shifted perceptions of women’s leadership in Lamu Island. The study concludes that moving from symbolic to gender-transformative governance requires both stronger legal enforcement and cultural change, recommending specific policy and institutional reforms.