IFRA Seminar – One Union, Many Steps: An Ethnography of Marriage Pathways in Kenya
On 28th October, we had the pleasure of listening to Shelmith Wanjiru from Geneva Graduate Institute who presented ‘One Union, Many Steps : An Ethnography of Marriage Pathways in Kenya’.
This discussion prompted reflection on the marriage process, its plurality and complexity, and on the many steps that shape it. Wanjiru invited us to think beyond the wedding itself, by paying attention to the in-between spaces, all those often invisible moments that also define what marriage means in practice. She explored how its recognition, both legal and social, takes different forms whether through formal or informal unions and how people navigate this long journey between personal choices, family expectations, and institutional norms.
Big thanks to the discussant Valerie Golaz from Ined – Institut national d’études démographiques for her contribution to this insightful discussion !


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
IFRA Nairobi (October 14, 2025). IFRA Seminar – One Union, Many Steps: An Ethnography of Marriage Pathways in Kenya. IFRA Nairobi. Retrieved February 16, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/14y2q

