The African Centre for Women Information and Communications Technology (ACWICT) partnered with the Interim Independent Electoral Commission(IIEC) under the Gender and Governance Programme (GGP) to sensitize eligible Kenyans especially women to register as voters ahead of the registration deadline.The messages which were sent just eight days to the close of the manual voter registration exercise targeted at least five hundred thousand subscribers.This is in addition to ACWICT’s internal SMS service under the GGP III Programme through which similar sensitization messages have been sent mobilizing subscribers to register as voters.The generic SMSes which were tailored in both Kiswahili and English urged the recipients to register as voters as well as reminded them of the registration deadline.

“Do you have a voter’s card? Do not be left out, only eight days remaining. Your vote, Your future,” the IIEC and Gender and Governance Programme signed message read.

The initiative was a follow up to IIEC’s calls for partnership towards the registration exercise at a consultative meeting on enhancing the registration on women voters previously held between the Commission and women CSOs and coordinated by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

During the meeting it had been noted that many women had not registered as voters because their identity cards which are a requirement for the registration process, are in the custody of their husbands.

Also notable was the fact that the number of women who have registered among pastoralist communities was worryingly too low hence the need to conduct sensitization campaigns appealing to them to register and exercise their democratic rights come the referendum in August.

According to gender experts, women are expected to vote for the draft constitution in large numbers in order to safeguard their gains as outlined in the proposed document.

Women rights activists have strongly defended the harmonized draft constitution and called on women and the youth to vote for the document at the referendum as it has taken into consideration the gains women have been fighting for over the years.

According to the experts, the draft law guarantees fair representation and equitable access to matrimonial property and public land, and provides for the enactment of laws to govern the same. The draft eliminates gender bias on inheritance and recognizes inheritance rights of wives and children, including those born out of marriage.

A number of legislators have also joined in the calls for women to register as voters. They have urged women to register in large numbers in preparation for the referendum and be part of the push for change.

An interim report by the electoral body indicates that the IIEC had achieved its ten million voters mark.  Due to the large turnout on the last day of the countrywide voter registration, the exercise was extended for four days. The electronic voter registration exercise is scheduled to conclude in two weeks time. It is therefore expected that the IIEC will surpass its target by nearly one million voters.