E-Reward System Adoption and Its Impact on Gender Equity Among Urban Youth in Kenya: A Socio-Digital Analysis

E-Reward Systems (ERS) are digital platforms that incentivize user engagement with reward points or tokens for various activities such as completing tasks, sharing content, and participating in community events. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative data from survey responses with qualitative insights from focus group discussions. Data were collected through an online survey targeting urban youth aged 18-25 in Rift Valley cities. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings indicate that male participants received higher reward points compared to female participants (male:mean=45, female:mean=37; p<0.05), suggesting a gender bias affecting the distribution of rewards in E-Reward Systems. This study highlights the need for transparent and equitable reward mechanisms within E-Reward Systems to promote gender equity among urban youth in Kenya. A recommendation is to design E-Rewards systems with built-in gender-neutral incentive structures that provide equal opportunities for all genders, thereby fostering a more inclusive digital community environment.