Women risk remaining with ‘soft posts’ in polls

By Stephen Makabila

As the next General Elections approach, it is evident that women are mainly angling for County Women representative positions to avoid direct contest with men in other elective positions.

The trend, political analysts opine, is worrying given the country is yet to develop a formula to ensure the one third gender provision in elective positions is realised after the polls.

Under the Constitution, at least one third of the 360-member new Parliament will have to be women, and the same provision applies to the Senate and the 47 County assemblies, as part of realizing gender equity.  

For Parliamentary elections, 47 special seats dubbed County Women representatives have been set aside, where only women contest, and this is the emerging target of most women interested in elective politics.

Above parliamentary politics, only one woman, Gichugu MP Martha Karua, has declared interest in the presidency and hit the campaign running to popularise her Narc-Kenya party.

Political analysts predict just like in the past polls, women are unlikely to improve in parliamentary elective politics.

"There are many odds against them, ranging from cultural, financial and even the violence and character assassination that is usually directed at them," says Dr Adams Oloo, Head of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Nairobi.

The Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) has taken the lead in mentoring women to go for elective positions.

KEWOPA chairperson and Marakwet East MP Linah Kilimo says the UN-Women and the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) were supportive of the initiative and that there is hope the mentorship programme would bear fruits.

"Each female MP is supposed to identify several women with potential and mentor them ahead of the coming election," said Kilimo.

Apart from KEWOPA, the Nairobi based Women Empowerment Link (WEL) is also involved in the mentorship programme.

Early this year, WEL launched the Kenya Women Charter where anyone who wants to get a slice of the women voters in the polls has to sign commitment to the charter.

The new initiative is part of efforts lined-up by women to strengthen their participation in elective politics, with the ultimate target being to hit the one-third gender constitutional provision at national and county levels.

The charter developed by Prof Maria Nzomo recognises the fact that women are still discriminated against and marginalised in politics even under the new Constitution.

Commitment

"Anyone seeking women votes must sign a commitment to our charter to uphold all the 17 Articles," said Mrs Grace Mbugua, WEL director.

Oloo notes that with no clear formula of realizing the one-third gender provision in elective politics, there is danger the 11th Parliament becoming un-constitutional.

"Unless the law is amended to have a clear formula of realizing the one third gender rule, any member of the public can move to court seeking to declare the Parliament un-constitutional because as things stand now, we are unlikely to meet that provision in the coming general election," said Oloo.

Oloo says violence meted against women during campaigns, inadequate resources and cultural issues were some of the reasons holding back women from contesting parliamentary seats.

"In 2007, only 16 women were elected out of the 210 constituencies and we may not do better in the coming elections where 290 constituencies will be up for grabs," Oloo told The Standard Politics team.

Communication consultant, Priscila Njeri, notes its emerging most women who are new in politics want to walk before they run.

Soft spot

"Most of them want to start with county women representative which is less competitive before going for the Parliamentary contest later," added Njeri.

Moi University lecturer Dr Reginalda Wanyonyi, who is eyeing the county women representative in Bungoma notes harassment and intimidation is the greatest challenge facing women politicians especially in Western Kenya.

"A County like Bungoma has never had a woman MP since independence because of the local culture that does not recognize women leadership. We are, however, determined to overcome this," said Reginalda who in 2007 unsuccessfully contested the Kimilili Parliamentary seat.

Njeri notes intensified mentoring could boost confidence in women, since recent opinion polls have shown Kenyans have confidence in women leaders.

A poll commissioned by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and released by Infotrak pollsters during celebrations to mark the International Women’s’ Day last month, showed at least 47 per cent of Kenyans are willing to vote for a woman to become president.

It also emerged that 63 per cent would vote for women seeking the positions of county governors and 77 per cent parliamentary positions.

Good indicators

Senatorship drew 58 per cent support for women candidates and an overwhelming 99 per cent for women seeking the position of Women Representatives.

The research leading to the poll’s results was conducted across the country involving more than 2,100 respondents.

"With all these good indicator, it remains upon women to stand-up and rise to the occasion come election time if they hope to fully participate in decision making process," added Njeri.