Why it's important to elect women in this general election

Polling station.

Photo credit: Photo | Pool

What you need to know:

  • Remarkable voter training, empowerment and education, including for the media, on gender equity and equality, have taken place in almost all corners of the nation with the intention to have more women elected.
  • While the need for equal participation and leadership in politics and other sectors between women and men are key for sustainable development, the reality is that gender parity in politics has remained a mirage.

Tuesday will be an exceptional day particularly for ordinary Kenyans.

The date, August 9, 2022, will be special as it is the only time that the people get to have a say, through their vote, on the direction the country should take, at least in the next five years.

If the heated campaigns and issues that have arisen in this year’s elections – arguably the most hotly contested since 2002 – are anything to go by, the need to have women at the political high table has never been so critical and crucial.

While the need for equal participation and leadership in politics and other sectors of governance between women and men are key for sustainable development, the reality in Kenya is that achieving gender parity in the political space remains a mirage, to the disadvantage of women.

Barriers

An analysis of elections the country has held – including under the 2010 Constitution, which engrains principles of parity – shows that most of the distinct barriers to women’s political participation as aspirants and candidates remain intact.

Tuesday’s general election is the forth under the current Constitution, which, although billed the most progressive, implementation of its provisions on inclusion in terms of women in political leadership, remains wanting.

In the last five years, in particular, remarkable voter training, empowerment and education, including for the media, on gender equity and equality, have taken place in almost all corners of the nation with the intention to have more women elected this year.

The objective has been to hit the elusive two-thirds gender principle through electing women to all the political seats to make the numbers for it.

Hope for attainment of the two-thirds of elected women in Parliament, including at the county legislatures and governorship, has been high and not far-fetched.

Educators, mostly from civil society and particularly campaigners for the rights of women and the marginalised, have been working on the premise of progress made – though marginal – in the increased numbers of women elected to political seats each general election, principally after 2013 – the first election under the current Constitution.

After each election, party nominations for this election included, one lesson emerges – that gender equality for women and affirmative action in Kenya will require patience, persistence, fortitude and more work.

Patriarchy

The walls of patriarchy are still as strong as they are stealthy and require new and joint strategies by gender equality campaigners. They will need to include ways of compelling political goodwill from the incoming administration.

That phase of activism has to focus on how not to accept rhetoric and pomposity from a government whose manifesto clearly outlines inclusion of women and gender equity, only to shelve the provisions once elected into office.

The two leading candidates, Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga of Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja coalitions, respectively, have well documented proposals on how they intend to ensure women are represented in all facets of leadership, development and politics. They have to be accountable to the pledges if matters of gender equity will be decisively determined.

The nation – the taxpayer for that matter – has to hold political leaders and the next government liable to promises made during election campaigns – and earnestly so. It is time to treat matters of equity and the place of women in top political decision-making spaces with seriousness.

This, too, has to start from the ballot as the people vote on Tuesday. A look at the numbers of candidates who are in the race as cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is not encouraging.

Women candidates

Out of the 16,100 candidates on the ballot, only a paltry 1,962 are women compared to 14,137 men. From the female gender’s total, 360 will be competing for the woman representative position – the county MP seat exclusive for women.

This leaves 1,602 women to compete with male counterparts for the highly contested National Assembly constituency seats and ward representatives, Senate and governorship positions.

These numbers, at a glance, may be a signal of possible failure to attain the elusive two-thirds gender requirement for women. However, should voters, who, this year, have risen to 22,120,458 (with women at 49.12 per cent) from 19,611,423 in 2017, resolve to be intentional and deliberate in choosing women, the huge gap of the sexes in elective positions will markedly be reduced.

While it is clear that women are immensely outnumbered in the race for governorship with about 20 candidates of the total 266, the possibility of at least six of them emerging victorious is high and will be historic.

Some of those on the ballot are Anne Waiguru and Wangui Ngirichi in Kirinyaga, Cecily Mbarire in Embu, Senator Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Aisha Jumwa (Malindi) and Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay).

The others include Fatuma Achale (Kwale), Kawira Mwangaza (Meru), Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos), Mwende Gatabaki (Kiambu), Patience Nyanga and Agnes Wakesho in Taita Taveta. In Migori, Rebecca Maroa and Jane Moronge are in the race and so are Omar Umar (Lamu) and Agnes Kagure in Nairobi, among others.

In the Senate race with 341 candidates eyeing the 47 seats, only a handful are women. However, should at least four of the women be elected, the House will manage the two-thirds gender requirement, given the Constitution mandated nominations of 16 women in addition to two in the special interest groups of youth and persons with disability.

Nevertheless, it is in the duel for constituency seats at the National Assembly where the toughest competition is. In the contest, which has attracted 2,132 candidates for the 290 seats, at least 16 women are defending their positions with indications that they are set to retain, while about a similar number are also competing for it.

With the clear need for gender equity in political representation, one hopes that the voter will be intentional to achieve this by voting in women, the disadvantaged gender in the equation.


Ms Rugene is a former Nation parliamentary editor, and founder of The Woman’s Newsroom Foundation; [email protected]