Amujae Leaders: How to succeed in politics
Mo Ibrahim, the founder of Mo Ibrahim Foundation, during an interview at Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi, on April 30, 2023. Women leaders who attended the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Governance Week shared their advice on what African women who aspire to venture into politics should do to succeed.
What you need to know:
- Although Kenya’s last general election saw an unprecedented number of women being elected into office, about 89 per cent of women candidates did not win.
- This was one of the issues brought into focus by Amujae Leaders at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Governance Week. During a plenary held at Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi last Sunday,
Women’s participation in politics and governance has been increasing rather slowly in Africa.
Although Kenya’s last general election saw an unprecedented number of women get elected into office, about 89 per cent of women candidates did not win, according to Gazette notices by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
This was one of the issues brought into focus by Amujae Leaders at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Governance Week. During a plenary held at Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi last Sunday, prominent women leaders shared their advice on what African women aspiring to venture into politics should do to succeed.
Funding challenges
One of the key voices was Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, who is also the chair of the Council of Governors. She highlighted how difficult it is for women to access campaign financing.
Drawing from her personal experience of being asked for her husband’s consent from her bank as her documents indicated that she was married when she tried to access funding, she advised women that most institutions are still patriarchal.
"I know of young men who wanted to join politics and it was easy for them to take their title deed and access a loan, but the same is not true for women because most title deeds are in men's names,’’ Ms Waiguru said, adding that women aspirants are also likely to raise less from fundraisers compared to male aspirants.
“It is easy for any young man to say I am going to run for a member of county assembly (MCA) seat and everybody in his family and community would financially support him. But a young woman of equal competency would be questioned for even attempting."
To overcome the financing challenge, the county chief advised women to leverage support from their political parties.
“You have to be strategic.There is no special politics for women. There are certain things you can do without money. One of them is to find credibility and recognition in a party that will give you a leg up when you are fundraising. If people don't believe that a political party is going to back you, then they will not contribute to your campaign,’’ she advised.
“Political parties are also funded, so whenever that party campaigns in your region, you don't even have to spend money; you can hop on that campaign, especially if you're a beginner in politics.Many young politicians rode on my campaign for my second term as Kirinyaga governor.’
Visibility in party affairs
Besides financing, Ms Waiguru highlighted the importance of gaining credibility within a political party and with the electorate.
“You have to get people to buy into your vision. Few people actually know how to articulate their vision. When you are not persuasive enough, the voters can see that you can run, but they may not be convinced that you can make a difference in a 349-member-Parliament,’’ she added.
Reiterating the need to build credibility was Botswana's Minister for Finance Peggy Onkutlwile Serame, who encouraged women aspirants to believe in themselves.
"I was appointed Minister for Finance in 2021 and despite working in the ministry as an economist for several years, I still had to earn the trust and respect of my peers all over again. You would have thought that I would already have earned the respect and credibility, but the first questions were ‘Who is she? Who is she related to?' I was supposedly related to the president,’’ Ms Serame said.
She made a vow to work hard to earn the respect of her peers and dispel the idea that she was given a ‘token appointment’.
“I learned my weaknesses and worked on them because being a woman in public service means most people are rooting for your failure. You have to work at least twice as hard to prove yourself. I had to make sure that I became one of the best ministers in Botswana,’’ Ms Serame added.
Fadzayi Mahere, an advocate and political leader from Zimbabwe, reminded women that there is no special politics for them on a largely patriarchal continent.
“You have to rise through a political party and become visible as a leader not only in your party but also on that national scene and that is not an easy task. You have to have a social base, a clear message and branding and a personal life that aligns with the role you are aspiring to fill,’’ Ms Mahere advised.
