Latest analysis from the UN Women- Kenya indicate that despite the increase in the number of elected women leaders from 179 in the 2017 elections to 209 in the in the 2022 General Elections, the challenges affecting women in politics continues derail the efforts of meeting the constitutional threshold of two-thirds gender rule.
Speaking during the launch of a report on the Political Economy Analysis of Women and Participation in Politics in Kenya. Professor Karuti Kanyinga from the University of Nairobi Institute for Development Studies Research highlighted that despite women in politics facing similar challenges like high cost of running political campaigns than their male counterparts, male dominance in politics, sociocultural practices and the patriarchal culture of the society. Women in marginalized areas face double of these challenges apart being in regions where religion demands that they remain conservative in public affairs.
Sentiments also echoed by Ruth Kulundu, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Deputy Chief Executive Officer who added that IEBC has in the past done a lot of voter education to the special interest groups where the women belong in the marginalized areas Mandera, Samburu, Wajir, Turkana and others identified as arid and semi-arid areas.
” What we have embarked on as IEBC before the 2027 General Elections, we would like to lobby bills and regulations in parliament where we can have political parties giving a specific party list that from marginalized areas and at the same time IEBC will continue to more voter education to the special interest groups so that they come out in large numbers and participate in our electoral process.” Kulundu stated
The report also highlighted the fact that women still face a lot of sexual harassment and tend to use more finances to organize for their security, more door-to-door campaigns that are also limited to daytime among many other costly efforts. Sometimes the women candidates can do all these campaigns only for their male counterparts to show up in the last minute with a lot of money and tilt the political scale on their side.
On the economy it emerged that although women are great a economic activities drivers, the ownership and key decision makers remains male dominated. Women have limited access to finances, for instance, women constitute only 23 percent of members of Kenya cooperative societies.
The need of more women political mentors especially those who have successful served in the elective seats to the new entrants also emerged. Majority of women joining politics are left to struggle on their own.
UN Women Deputy Country Representative to Kenya Dan Bazira underlined the importance of using this data to inform interventions of state and non-state actors to achieve gender parity in Kenyan politics.
“Inclusion, participation and representation are critical tenets of democratic governance. A society cannot claim to be truly democratic if it leaves out half of its population in key-decision making processes. Although there has been commendable progress on gender equality in Kenya, the political system continues to disenfranchise and disadvantage women who face multiple barriers in participating in politics.” Bazira attributed
As a non-state actor with radio stations (SIFA FM) broadcasting in the regions of Kakuma, Lodwar, Marsabit, Lamu, Voi, Garissa, Wajir and Madera, and with these findings Trans World Radio Kenya looks forward to embark on a continued production of developmental oriented programs that will promote economic fairness and gender parity.
