Patriarchy mustn’t deny us good woman leaders

Just when we thought there was progress towards gender equality and women’s leadership, a blatant onslaught was served before us.

During the submissions and defence in Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza’s impeachment hearing in the Senate last week, we saw one of the most saddening acts of gender-based violence by national leaders.

This is but a tip of the underlying abuse women in leadership face in the country. The genesis of Kawira’s suffering seems to stem from patriarchal norms that have been threatened by her leadership.

Patriarchy is not a person but norm or practice played or orchestrated by people. It is a social system of oppression categorised with classism, colonialism and racism with power, dominance, privilege and control held by men, often at the expense or disadvantage of women.

Common is a calculated oft-socialised control, violence and exploitation of one group over another for its own social, political or economic benefit. Patriarchy is more pervasive than other social systems of oppression.

Patriarchy was rattled when Kawira won the governor position, unsettling norms of male control and dominance in Meru’s leadership. Her outsmarting men was a counter-cultural move that irked some people.

Even the beneficiaries of her ascent to power, such as her deputy, feel more entitled to the top position. Attempts to illegitimise her leadership include invoking social norms to discredit her, creating a narrative of incompetence and arrogance.

Kawira has weathered storms of this pressure but stayed pu. Thus, Tigania East MP Mpuru Aburi resorted to threats of sexual abuse and social shaming. This is a card from a defeated man who cannot pick out legal, administrative or even political deviations to use against Kawira, opting for crowd-hyping slurs. Why would he brag about his alleged sexual virility? This is the lowest primal instinct. When defeated or threatened, primates resort to physical prowess to attack. For lack of a better word, his utterances are most primitive and a sign of weakness.

Women like Kawira have demonstrated tenacity, grit, brilliance and political acumen to reach the top. Nobody can erase her efforts and those of others. We cannot let our children imagine that what Mpuru and other chauvinists said is acceptable. We cannot accept that abusers can go scot-free without accounting for their utterances and incitement.

Representation and civility

This does not sit well by any rational and ethical standard. When we vote, we enter into a social contract with our leaders—that they hold part of their commitment of representation and civility in dealing with one another and the electorate. As national leader, Mpuru has failed the ethical test and broken a social contract. He abused our ears and eyes with his demonstration of how he would use a kibiri (forked stirrer) to sexually molest a woman.

This incident caused pain and fear to potential leaders who are women. Yet, I hope and pray it will catalyse a renewed zeal to continue unsettling norms that have historically excluded women. I hope Kawira’s tears will not be in vain.

As a mother of children whose maternal relations are in Meru, I also want them to see the acts of Mpuru against Kawira as isolated and not representative of all their male relatives. Indeed, I believe Meru is full of good people who will not let incivility reign.

- Dr Thamari is a social scientist. [email protected]. @mthamario