Kennedy Otina – Coordinator, Men for Gender Equality Now (MEGEN), African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) Nairobi.

Men for Gender Equality Now (MEGEN) is gravely concerned about violence that normally happens around election period. Mostly the victims in this violence are women. We feel already that women are disadvantaged in two specific ways: one, that there’s cultural discrimination, and then secondly, the electoral violence, a lot of times women can not withstand the violence because of their feminine nature. MEGEN is concerned about two things: The first is for us to communicate to fellow men that there’s need for them to vote with their electors’ cards and not with clubs and fists. And the second thing is that we should encourage women to contest for political positions and not stay at home only to dance at political rallies organised by men and serve tea at men’s parties.

MEGEN firmly believes in Affirmative Action. One thing for sure is that women have for a very long time been relegated to the periphery of development realm, in the management and the running of both private and public institutions as well as involvement in the decision making of our country. It is because of this that women have not achieved so much in terms of their own development. Considering this reason, I believe, firmly indeed, that their must be a deliberate move to bring up women to participate in decision making and involve them in management of resources in this country and fully participate in leadership at all levels. Read More

Eric Kimani, Advocate

On the current representation of women in parliament
The current representation of women in public leadership is not acceptable since there are actually more women than men in this country. So you would think that more women ought to be in these positions. But when you look at the political parties is it that women are not coming up and running to be elected?

On political climate: Our politics has to be made less of violence it is far too violent in nature. That violence is enough to put anybody off anybody running for office especially women. The extreme violence makes one wonder at what risk am I running? To loose my life? We must reduce this violence.

On affirmative action: Community sensitization needs to encompass both men and women in an exchange where women can articulate the problems they face. Men have to understand why women need affirmative action. The perception as of now is that women just want to have it easy, stay at home while the men are out there struggling to look for money, which is of course not true.

On ways to increase the numbers of women in parliament and civic seats: Women’s votes! That is all it would take. Women are more than men so there is no reason why women cannot increase their numbers in parliament. However, if women are biased against women leaders these numbers may never be achieved.