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Gender & Governance

Women make up over 52% of the Kenyan population, yet they remain largely underrepresented in decision-making processes. For instance, in parliament today out of 210 members, only 22 are women, elected 6 and 16 nominated. In Kenya, it is sad that despite numerous campaigns for affirmative action, majority still perceive it as a “favour” for women. The Gender and Governance program initiatives aim at ensuring that women enjoy their civil and political rights as well as participate actively in democratic governance. The vision 2030 envisions participation of women in all economic, social and political decision-making processes specifically higher representation of women in parliament.

Leadership

Friday, 30 January 2009 03:54
But if Kenyans believe in equal representation, then they must also ask themselves why women hold a measly 9 per cent of parliamentary seats, despite comprising more than half the population.The ratio of female to male parliamentarians in the current Parliament is a shocking 1:12, the lowest in East Africa. Rwanda, has nearly equal representation of men and women in Parliament, making it one of the most egalitarian governments in the world.

Tanzania and Uganda are not doing badly either, both with roughly a quarter of their parliamentarians being female.

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Affirmative Action

Friday, 30 January 2009 03:52
People misunderstand gender and governance to mean solely the participation of women in politics: "It is about decision-making on the policies and laws for both genders but especially those that enable women to reach higher positions of decision making." as an issue of empowerment for development. Gender and governance in any country should focus on four areas; one is participation of both men and women in issues of governance; two, legal and institutional frameworks that guide and direct participation; three is the need for proper distribution of resources and mobilization of resources and finally the need for institutional mechanisms that monitor the implementation of the programmes all aimed at raising the level of participation by the under-privileged or marginalised groups in the society.
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Women and Politics

Friday, 30 January 2009 03:48
Women are marginalized at all levels of Kenyan society. Thirty percent of Kenyan women are illiterate, compared with 14% of men. Women make up just 23% of the judiciary and the civil service. Even in agriculture, just one in five extension workers — employed by the government to tell farmers about new seeds, crop rotation, and appropriate agricultural practices — are women. The biggest gender gap is in parliament: less than 9% of the country's elected politicians are women. In contrast, neighbouring Uganda has reserved one parliamentary seat from each of its 45 districts for women. Will Kenya see the day women will flood the governing structures?
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