The equality agenda

Daisy Okoti

According to an unsettling study by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in partnership with the State Department of Gender, UN Women and UNICEF, only 29 percent of women between the age of 15 and 49 are empowered! The report, which was released in August 2020, used income and social resources such as family, market, and community that enhance a person’s ability to make choices, as markers of empowerment. The study also found that only 40 per cent of women in urban areas are empowered, with just half of this percentage in rural areas. 

In a nutshell, this report shows that in this 21st century, less than a third of Kenyan women are empowered!

Defined as the quest for social, political and economic equality of both sexes, the word “feminism” remains a most contested, divisive and grossly misunderstood word. A quick scan through social media reveals just how problematic the notion is. According to a report published by the Independent, for example, half of Generation Z men (16 to 24) believe that feminism has gone too far and makes it difficult for men to succeed.

This week, four young people give us their perspective on women empowerment and the role it plays in Kenya today.

Ivy Namulindwa, production assistant

“Women empowerment to me means helping women and girls in the society to raise their status through education, access to reproductive health services and information, and basically all-round literacy and awareness,” she says.

Ivy says that if women are empowered, they become better placed to make informed choices.

“With information at their disposal, women will not make ignorant decisions that can harm them. An empowered woman is educated, has access to reproductive health information and can therefore not be easily taken advantage of,” she says.

Ivy considers herself empowered because she had the privilege of growing up in a family that gave her access to education and everything else she needed, without gender considerations. Her parents treated her and her brothers equally.

“I am also lucky to work in an environment that is accommodative. We have paid maternity leave, for example, and it delights me to know that my employers are aware of the needs of women,” she says.

Looking back, Ivy says she has always been the rebellious one.

“In high school, I was not as calm as girls were supposed to be because I was not scared of being beaten. Being half Ugandan, female submission is a central part of my culture. I was taught to respect men and never to raise my voice at them.

I used to wonder why we had so many rules for girls and none for boys, and I think that is what made me rebellious in high school,” she says.

Ivy arrived in university and learnt that people like her were called feminists and considered untamed.

“After reading about women like Mekatilili wa Menza, in detail, and Wangari Maathai, I knew I wanted to be the type of woman who uses her voice,” she says.

Going back in history and discovering that women had to fight for the right to work, to earn, to vote and are still fighting for equal pay for equal work today, was mindboggling to her.

“It is disheartening that there is someone in this country whose parents are not taking them to school because of their gender. This is why feminism is important. It is our responsibility to stand up for our rights,” she says.

Policies, culture, and religion, Ivy says, are at the crux of the challenges facing women empowerment.

“Two months into the pandemic, there was a spike in teen pregnancies. I watched the education Cabinet Secretary blame the girls and parents. I think such blame games happen because we do not look at the issue holistically. Teen pregnancies spike because of a mix of issues such as culture, lack of access to reproductive health education and services. By the time a girl is 14, their bodies change, regardless of whether they are in a Christian or Muslim home, a single-parent home or being raised by a pastor or grandma. 
But sex education is taboo and therefore at the policy level, nothing is really done. Yet teen pregnancies greatly hinder a girl’s potential,” she says.

Desmond Ogubi

“Women empowerment to me is a deliberate move by society to raise the status of women by educating them, building their capacity through training and also economically strengthening them,” he says.

For Desmond, therefore, an empowered woman is one who knows her life purpose and is able to draw meaning and fulfilment while trying to improve the lives of those around her.

Desmond views feminists as people working together towards achieving global gender equality.

“I believe as humans, we are all born equal, regardless of gender, race or sexuality. But despite this reality, I know people aren’t treated equally be it politically, economically, legally or even socially,” he says.

He is a strong proponent of feminism because it works against structures that have been built to keep certain groups of people oppressed and works towards the equality of everyone.

“I think equality can be achieved if we acknowledge how different sexes, sexual orientations and socioeconomic status affects feminism. Therefore, there is need for civil conversations with people who think otherwise,” he says.

Desmond says anyone who thinks that equality of opportunity and doubling the workforce by including women in every sector of the economy is a bad thing isn’t thinking right.

“Varied analyses have proved that an increase in the number of women in the workforce is directly proportional to the economic development of any state,” he says.

Social challenges, perception and violence are some of the reasons empowerment of women is slow, according to Desmond.

“Traditionally, women have been placed in the background especially when it comes to decision-making. There is also a strong cultural stigma regarding what women can or cannot do and finally, because of gender-based violence, women suffer disproportionately whenever there are instabilities such as war, political violence and so on. All these draw back on the gains of empowerment,” he says.

As a country, he says, Kenya has the best and most progressive laws when it comes to gender equality and women representation. The biggest challenge has been in the implementation of these laws.

“There is need for the government to enforce these laws so as to create more equitable structures,” Desmond says.

Shatta Bway, radio presenter

“I believe women empowerment is a process that hands women power over their lives, society and in their communities by accepting and involving them in decision-making processes, as opposed to excluding them as has been the norm,” he says.

Shatta believes that women empowerment is a big step towards the overall development of a country and its people.

“When I hear the word feminism, I think about equality between the sexes, so for me it’s a positive word. This is because it allows everyone, especially women, the freedom to do what they want and achieve more because they are not held back by societal norms that have for a long time disenfranchised them by viewing them as lesser humans,” he says.

Despite the importance of this issue, Shatta says that many of those spearheading women empowerment movements end up misrepresenting the core ideals.

“They have made women empowerment and feminism look like a competition between men and women. I believe this is what alienates men because they see it as an attack and in return, some men have not been very welcoming of these ideas,” he says.

Cultural norms that put pressure on women to live a certain way, failure to understand the importance of women empowerment and feminism are some of the reasons why women empowerment is yet to be fully achieved.

“Many have misrepresented the term feminism by making it look like it is all about directing hate at men and this overrides the true meaning of feminism, which seeks to bring equity and equality to both sexes,” he says.

Shatta works in the creative world and he says the industry is male dominated because men are more daring by nature while many women shy away from being aggressive.

“Women tend to be less assertive when putting forward their opinions, yet in a field such as mine, one has to be somewhat aggressive to get ahead. I think many women are laidback because of fear of being labelled rebellious,” he says.

Shatta believes that if the constitution was adhered to and no gender exceeded two thirds of the total representatives in both houses of Parliament, women would have more representation in the political sphere.

“However, participation and representation is not limited to politics. It can be done in schools and households too. The ability for one to make their own choices needs to be considered in all these spaces,” he says.

“Lastly, I believe the way we bring up our children plays a big role in how they approach gender dynamics. We should instill empowering ideas in them.” 

Ashley Omondi, student

“To me, an empowered woman is one who has equal access to opportunities as men, has freedom of choice, and can speak out against injustice,” she says.

In Ashley’s world, equal opportunities to jobs, education, political power and finances, having the freedom to make independent choices about their bodies, what to wear and the career path to follow, and having an influential voice on important matters, are at the core of women empowerment.

“I consider myself empowered, thanks to my mother. She has empowered me by equipping me with quality education which has given me a platform to gain experiences and interact with people from different cultures. My basic needs have always been met, and the opportunity to meet many women who are in positions of influence and leadership has showed me that it is possible to achieve any dream,” she says.

For Ashley, feminism is a positive philosophy.

“I have listened to and read the works of feminist writers, poets and directors and this has made me understand people better. For example, I can tell when someone is being discriminatory on the basis of gender, and I always call such people out. I also have a clearer understanding of the patriarchal structures that hold women back, but most importantly, feminism has taught me that as a woman, I can live authentically and be anything I want to be.

If you’re looking for a place to start learning about feminism, I recommend reading the works of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Bell Hooks,” she says.

Ashley also believes that if women could be given the same opportunities as men, everyone would benefit.

“A 2015 report by UN estimated a 26 per cent rise in the global GDP if women played the same roles as men in the labour market. That means, if we do not empower women, we do a great disservice to our economy,” she says and adds that patriarchal structures and discriminatory gender roles continue to hold slow the journey to empowerment.

“Some parents still offer boys better quality of education, many companies are reluctant to appoint women to top leadership positions even though they are qualified, and there are many who bear misogynist beliefs. All this make the fight for women empowerment harder,” she says.

For the number of empowered women to go up, Ashley suggests more educational scholarships and grants dedicated solely to women.

“This will give them more opportunities to get educated and thus access new opportunities,” she says.

She also recommends policies that support free child care services in the country.

“Women are seen as the primary caretakers of children while men are expected to go out and make money. Times are changing and women need to be able to make their own money, which means that someone needs to watch the children. Creating suitable public spaces that offer free child care and hiring women in these facilities to care for the children, gives employed women more time to pursue their careers and creates formal jobs for other women,” she says.

[email protected]