State honours Kenya's first female Cabinet minister
Former Cabinet Minister Nyiva Mwendwa receives an award from Gender CS Margaret Kobia as former Senator Zipporah Kittony looks on in Gigiri on February 25, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Ms Mwendwa recalled how at the onset of her career she would be verbally abused by her male competitors as fellow women laughed.
- CS Kobia praised the veteran politician, saying the benefits many women enjoy today such as maternity leave and house allowance were made possible by the struggle Ms Mwendwa and other front-runners endured.
Kenya's first female Cabinet Minister Nyiva Mwendwa has been honoured for her role in empowering women and mentoring them into leadership.
While receiving an award under a programme run by the government ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2022, Ms Mwendwa recalled how at the onset of her career she would be verbally abused by her male competitors as fellow women laughed.
“It has not been an easy journey and African customs make it harder, but when women support one another, it works,” she said at her home in Gigiri, Nairobi.
Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs and Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia was joined by Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu, Maendeleo ya Wanawake chairperson Rehab Muiu, Kitui South MP Rachael Nyamai and former Transport CAS Wavinya Ndeti at the event.
The CS praised the veteran politician, saying the benefits many women enjoy today such as maternity leave and house allowance were made possible by the struggle Ms Mwendwa and other front-runners endured.
Former Cabinet Minister Nyiva Mwendwa (in green dress) receives an award from Gender CS Margaret Kobia as former Assistant Minister Julia Ojiambo (L) and former nominated senator Zipporah Kittony look on at Ms Mwendwa's Gigiri home on February 25, 2022.
Humble mentor
She described Ms Mwendwa as very humble mentor to many and an example of good leadership that many women can emulate.
“Kenya celebrates the many gains in gender equality as a result of pioneer women like Nyiva Mwendwa and we continue to work on the 12 critical areas outlined in the Beijing Forum, which include empowerment, education, health, safety, participation in politics, human rights and others to see how far we have progressed as government,” said Prof Kobia.
She added that having the right political leadership that appreciates the role of women is important in ensuring they get more seats at the political table.
Governor Ngilu thanked Ms Mwendwa for mentoring her and nurturing her leadership abilities, and urged her to continue bringing more women into politics even as she enjoys her retirement. She also appealed to women to mobilise and ensure they are represented in all political spaces where they can drive the inclusivity agenda even as they discuss allocation of resources.
"Women should not fight each other even if they are on different political parties. What matters most is to have more women on the table," the county chief said.
Ms Mwendwa served in former President Daniel Moi's administration and led the Kenyan delegation to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995. The Kitui politician was appointed as minister for Culture and Social Services on May 9 the same year.
Former Cabinet Minister Nyiva Mwendwa receives an award from Gender CS Margaret Kobia at Ms Mwendwa's home in Gigiri on February 25, 2022. Looking on from left are Maendelo ya Wanawake Rehab Muiu, former assistant minister Julia Ojiambo, former nominated senator Zipporah Kittony, Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu, and Kitui South MP Rachael Nyamai.
Unity of purpose
Gender Chief Administrative Secretary Linah Jebii Kilimo also attended the ceremony, as did trailblazers Julia Ojiambo and Zipporah Kittony. They encouraged women leaders to stand together to increase their representation in all leadership spheres.
“During our time, we had no one to go to for a second opinion except God, but now there are many mentors in politics that women can turn to,” noted Prof Ojiambo.
Ms Kilimo acknowledged the support Ms Mwendwa gave her when she first got into politics.
While they recognised that more needed to be done to get women on a par with men in political leadership, they said they were very proud of the female leaders Kenya has been producing, adding that they are on the right path and soon the two-third gender rule would become a reality.
The seasoned political leaders, however, raised concerns about the increased number of teenage pregnancies, saying it is reversing the steps made in empowering women.
“Something has to be done about teen pregnancies, which are now out of control. Parents must take greater responsibility for their children because when girls are not educated, they cannot do much for themselves or the country,” they said.
The other trailblazers who were visited last week include former Karachuonyo MP Phoebe Asiyo, the first female MP in Kenya Grace Onyango, Joan Jomba, Kittony and Muthoni Likimani.
The trailblazers programme was launched in 2018 under President Uhuru Kenyatta's directive and seeks to visit women aged over 70 who have contributed to the country’s political, social or economic development.
