 MP Kitui Central
Fraudulent political parties and poor nominations processes should not deter women political aspirants to participate in the 2007 General Elections. Was the message conveyed to hundreds of women who turned up at the Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC), Nairobi on May 5,2007 for the National Women Parliamentary Aspirants Conference.
Conference convener, Ms Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Regional Programme Director asked women to fight for their rights in order to realize equal representation with men in all spheres of decision making. This move, she said will put to past cases of gender imbalance, discrimination, exclusion and poverty.
Ms Nyaradzai criticized the Kenyan government for negating on its promise to implement the Affirmative Action Bill. She said the government committed itself to uphold gender equality and women empowerment by ratifying the Convention on Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women and therefore should take all measures available to reduce gender imbalance and inequality.
“About 22 years ago, the world convened in Nairobi to mark The Nairobi Women’s’ Conference and formulated the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies. These strategies were to, among other things, put an end to gender inequality.” Said the Unifem, Regional Director.
The Unifem’s Gender and Governance Program (GGP), she said would continue to support constitutional, legislative and policy reforms that focus on women empowerment.
Speaking at the same forum, Presidential aspirants Hon. Charity Ngilu, Dr. Julia Ojiambo and Nazlin Umar called upon the government to increase women’s representation in all government institutions. They said even though the president made a directive that 30percent of civil service positions be reserved for women, this directive holds no water if it is not enacted in the Kenyan law.
Ms. Nyaradzai narrated her mother’s story of struggle to illustrate how African women, despite their poverty-riddled lifestyles have managed to lift themselves up from doldrums to fight for their rightful position in society.
“My mother lived for 27 years as a widow and died later when she was 83 years old, but she had meticulously led the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in our village.” She said. She asked Kenyan women not to allow poverty and exclusion to take away their determination to succeed.
And in her speech at the same function, Ms Anna Brandt, the Swedish Ambassador to Kenya observed that Kenyan women face numerous hurdles every time they enter into politics, these, she said included cultural beliefs that women should not head political offices.
“Kenyan women are often rigged out during political parties nominations or sometimes their male counterparts will start up a commotion to cause political violence at any slightest opportunity.” She added.
She urged women to support each other by voting for one of their own. Women, she said, are the majority of the Kenyan population and should therefore take advantage of their large number. She told a cheering crowd that the affirmative Action rule in Kenya is long overdue and women needed to push hard for its enactment. “ There’s no government around the world that gives in to Affirmative Action without people pushing for it.” She said.
Taking cue from where Ms. Brandt had left, were presidential aspirants Hon. Charity Ngilu, Dr. Julia Ojiambo and Nazlin Umar, they asked women not to be cowed by the abuses they often get from male political aspirants in their constituencies.
Hon. Ngilu told the parliamentary aspirants to seek nomination on the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) or National Party Of Kenya (NPK), should they feel discriminated or locked out by the other political parties, “ I have been accused of keeping two political parties in my hand bag. They say I have two parties, they are wrong, I actually have a third one.” Said Ngilu amid thunderous claps.
She invited all aspirants who feel sidelined by the other parties to seek nominations on parties under her custody. Mrs. Ngilu said the African continent is unable to progress because of bad leadership.
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) presidential aspirant Nazlin Umar criticized the media for biased news coverage. The media, she said should be at forefront to support women if the war on gender equality is to be won.
” Women will not win this war without the support of the media. And we can’t begin to fight with the media.” She said. Nazlin added that she was prepared to campaign for women wherever they are notwithstanding their party affiliations. “ I am going to play the role of Moses and work with every woman from every political party. Just call your rallies and I will come and back you there.” Said the presidential aspirant who is also vying for the Kamukunji parliamentary seat in Nairobi.
Nominated MP and ODM presidential aspirant Dr. Julia Ojiambo asked women to support the Political Parties Bill, which she described as having the face of a woman. “ The Political Parties Bill is in the House already,and with the assistance from the Centre for Multi Party Democracy, (CMD) we have put in the Bill amendments that will ensure that women’s presence in Parliament is increased.”
The Electoral Commission of Kenya boss, Samuel Kivuitu asked politicians to uphold the rule of law when they will be conducting their campaigns. He took participants through a session of understanding the Election Offences Act. “This law is clear, the practice of a few individuals in power is our problem.” He said.
The conference whose theme was “ Transformative Leadership for Change and Equality was supported by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) through the Gender and Governance Program.
By Boniface Manyala
Publication date: May 7,2007 |
