Kenyan Woman Issue 23 by African Woman & Child Feature Service

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

EDITORIAL Kenyans must awake to the reality of cancer

ore than ever before, Kenyans now have more reasons to focus on a national campaign and strategy to combat cancer which is the third leading cause of deaths in the country. A bill on enhancing cancer treatment is already in Parliament. In the past month, the silent killer has claimed hundreds of lives of men, women and children. However, among these deaths were renowned leaders like Nobel Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai, freedom fighter Wambui Otieno, paediatrician cum author, Dr Margaret Ogola and a former Kenyan diplomat Ambassador Michael Okeyo. During the same month the world mourned ‘Steve Jobs, the American who founded the Apple Inc. that has revolutionised how ordinary people use information technology. While the aforementioned were not lucky, others like Medical Services Minister Professor Peter Anyan’g Nyong’o seem to have survived the killer disease. Nyong’o, has not only gone public to declare his status, he has demystified the disease by calling on Kenyans to come out and have medical examinations often. The minister has also gone the extra mile by committing the Government to increase funds for cancer research, purchase of equipments and drugs in addition to providing the necessary qualified medical personnel.

It is critical for women’s empowerment to include family planning

Situation At the moment, the country only has only two private hospitals that are well equipped to deal with cancer cases — MP Shah and Aga Khan University Hospital. However cost of treatment in private hospitals are prohibitive forcing most cancer patients to troop to Kenyatta National Hospital for help. According to the latest data, Cancer ranks third as one of the most common diseases causing death in Kenya today. The common types of cancers are that of the breast, cervix, oesophagus, neck and prostrate. The mysterious disease has not spared children, the most common cancers for them being blood cancer and lymphomas. Statistics in Kenya has shown that about 50 Kenyans die daily from various forms of cancers. According Pact Kenya Cancer Assessment in Africa and Asia (2010), about 80,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed each year. In the same breadth, the International Atomic Energy Agency (2010), states that the cancer situation in Kenya is dire with a severe lack of medical practitioners and a large number of new cancer cases being diagnosed annually. A study by KEMRI (2010), found that of the 2,292 cancer-related deaths recorded in Nairobi during a twoyear period, oral tumours claimed the biggest percentage of victims. According to Kenyatta National Hospital Cancer Treatment Centre, four to six radiotherapy machines are needed to cater for Cancer cases. KNH has only one paediatric oncology unit (with 28 beds) that caters for only 25 percent of paediatric cancer cases.

Family planning champions from Africa during a Reproductive Health training organised by CEDPA in Washington DC. Pictures: Courtesy CEDPA Correspondent.

path to empowerment. Women’s organisations must work in partnership with other organisations including the United States on this matter,” said Sadik who is the Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General with additional responsibilities as Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia. Sadik, a former Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) regretted that family planning progress remained low. “In many countries, the poorest lag behind where pregnancy and child birth remain a major risk.”

…By Jane Godia

n reproductive health, women have the opportunity to plan the number of children they want as well as space births as per the time they desire to have children. While women’s development and empowerment in the political scene has taken centre stage, the issue of women’s reproductive and sexual rights remains an area that has been largely ignored. However, looking at the development space, women’s empowerment remains a half-baked loaf because many women’s organisations talk of empowering them but fail to address the issue of family planning. This includes not only access and availability but also options in choices that are available.

Cancer drugs

Health

Unfortunately cancer drugs are not always available at many public hospitals. Where they are found, the costs are prohibitive. The Kenya Cancer Association maintains that there are only three oncologists, one for every 12 million people. Kenyans should now make it a normal practice to promote public awareness about the disease, go for regular tests and for those who are infected should form and/ or join support groups while the Government increases funding for research and for quipping and manning public hospitals. With early detection, chances of being saved are usually higher. As the adage goes: “prevention is better than cure!” now is the time.

Speaking to family planning and reproductive health champions in Washington DC, Dr Nafis Sadik reiterated the need to work with women’s organisations to improve their condition and reproductive health. She noted that women are key to development in every aspect and that civil society organisations must provide leadership in family planning and listen closely to what women are saying. “Access to sexual and reproductive health and family planning is an essential

Resources “One of the challenges we need to address is that we seem to be reaching out to young married women for family planning. We must also reach out to young unmarried women because delaying a pregnancy will reduce complications.” — Dr Nafis Sadik

Sadik regretted that resources for family planning are a big problem and they keep shrinking. She noted that without family planning there will be no full reduction in maternal mortality. “Family planning is stagnating and we must get resources for it. We should start using family planning to bring back emphasis on it as a whole,” stressed Sadik. This must include not just commodities but also education, planning and follow up. “We need to think of how we can provide a one stop shop for women. In the same place where they fetch water and firewood, they must also find family planning and reproductive health services in one place to save time and effort,” said Sadik. Continued on page 2

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Women told to break barriers and embrace birth control …By John Syengo

any women have never experienced the right to decide on the number of children they want. Nor have they made decisions on the spacing of children when they are active in child birth. This has left many families with children they are unable to cater for. The women have been left with life long health consequences and in many cases death from pregnancy related complications.

Challenges The inability to space children places women at a position that puts them at risk of death. However, where women have been able to have the number of children they desire and space the births, they have come out stronger and with healthier families.

The worst culprit ain hindering women’s sexual and reproductive health rights has been culture and traditions. It is for this reason that women in Mwingi have been urged to abandon outdated cultural practices that associate family planning with infidelity and prostitution in order to healthy and happy families. The Eastern Region coordinator of the National Coordinating Agency for Population and Development (NCAPD) Jane Wanjaria recently asked women in Mwingi to stand against cultural barriers that militate against the use of contraceptives. She said time had come for all to rise to the reality that shunning contraceptives had made poor families shoulder the heavy burden of taking care of extremely large families. “It is time women found ways of convincing their spouses that the use of contraceptives like condoms

is not counterproductive and should not be associated with prostitution,” explained Wanjaria. She added: “It helps in ensuring well planned families that you can fend for with ease and in a stress free manner.” She reiterated that contraceptives helped curtail the spread of HIV/Aids virus besides aiding in planned families.

An assortment of female family planning products. Many women in Mwingi have not encouraged spacing of children. Picture: KenyanWoman Correspondent.

Awareness Wanjaria, who is a population expert was speaking at the Mwingi Sports Grounds at the start of activities to mark the one week International Contraceptive Day celebrations in Mwingi area. The public sensitisation meeting preceded an exercise at the Mwingi District Hospital that saw a number of women voluntarily take up long term family planning methods that included implants and tubal ligation.

Others collected pills and condoms. Speaking on behalf of the District Medical Officer, Josephat Mutinda of the Ear, Nose and Throat Department at the Mwingi District Hospital lamented that the prevalence of contraceptive use in the area had dropped drastically compared to the period between 1970s and 1990s. Mutinda, however, noted that non-government organisations like the Aphia Plus Kamili and the Am-

ref had come in to popularise family planning and reverse the negative attitude into which the programme had sunk. The officer pointed that a care giving centre for those who had tested HIV-positive had been set up in all major hospitals in the entire Mwingi region. He said more satellite care giving centres were being set up in most dispensaries deep in the rural areas.

Gender empowerment must include family planning Continued from page 1

She added: “This should also include immunisation programmes for children because mothers will always give priority to the young ones.” Such an initiative would make family planning programmes progress and health programmes benefit. Sadik was speaking to women from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Ghana and Ethiopia who attended a two-week training session on family planning and reproductive health organised by the Centre for Population and Development Activities (CEDPA) through support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The training sought to strengthen women’s voices in championing family planning and reproductive health. Held under the theme Strengthening the Voices of Women Champions for Family Planning and Reproductive Health, the training was designed to strengthen the capacity of women leaders and their networks to play this critical role and ensure that family planning and reproductive health remain a national priority.

planning champions whom she described as bold and fearless. She noted that family planning needed to be up-scaled to serve all women and not only the married ones. She noted that women who were not married were not considered when thinking of making available contraceptives. “In many societies, women who are unmarried are not supposed to have sex, and if they do, they must take responsibility for the consequences,” observed Sadik. She added: “One of the challenges we need to address is that we seem to be reaching out to young married women for family planning. We must also reach out to young unmarried women because delaying a pregnancy will reduce complications.” Girls and women in many settings are seeking sexual and reproductive health rights as well as family planning services. However, many policy makers are unwilling to endorse them. She reiterated that one cannot ignore family planning when talking

Access It has been realised that family planning and reproductive health are crucial components of development, yet access to quality services that meet the needs of women and their families remains a challenge. Despite more than 40 years of investments in family planning by countries and donors, 215 million women continue to express an unmet need for family planning. As governments and donors implement new development assistance programmes, there is a growing emphasis on the importance of countries setting their own priorities and driving the development process. As host countries assume this leadership role, it is critical that women’s voices are central in the process to ensure that family planning and reproductive health programmes are prioritised in national debates and ultimately in country and donor resource allocations. Sadik lauded the women family

“When women have access to family planning, maternal deaths and abortions decrease. Voices of women’s champions may be the best way to influence policy.” — Carol Peasley

of reproductive health programmes. It is not a question of either or, there must be links and partnerships. “People in family planning need to understand what all connections are and not just one service. They must know women’s concerns that need to be addressed,” Sadik noted. She added: “Right now, one major task is to seek the bold and fearless among policy makers and together we will be an unstoppable force.”

Lobbying Sadik called on family planning and reproductive health champions to have men included in their activities as few programmes address their needs. Family planning and reproductive health programmes must reach out to all groups involved including men having sex with men as well as boys. There is need to reach out to boys to change behaviour at an early age. “The world today, more than ever before, needs family planning champions, noted Sadik. She regretted that while the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) came from the goals of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), only women’s reproductive health rights have not been included. “This is something that family planning champions are fighting today. The main goals of MDGs depend on getting women autonomy over their bodies as well as sexual and reproductive rights,” noted Sadik. She observed: “The MDG Five is still far away from being fulfilled. The unmet demand for family planning is still increasing. There are 200 million women who could use family planning if they could but they have been unable to access them.” This situation leaves many women at risk of unplanned and unwanted pregnancy and standing a high chance of maternal death and unsafe abortion. Poor women also remain at a high risk of contracting HIV and this is linked to reproductive rights and

Dr Ruth Jahunga gynaecologist/obstetrician during the CEDPA training illustrating the Kenya country action plan. Picture: Courtesy CEDPA family planning. While the goal of preventing mother to child transmission looks good, gaps in HIV prevention are wide. Groups and countries at high risk of infections are unlikely to get support. “In Asia, it is the young married women who are getting HIV,” noted Sadik. Lack of attention to women’s needs and lack of women’s power to change their circumstances places them at a high risk. Women who have been sexually abused are most likely to get pregnant. Sadik who started working as a medical doctor in Pakistan recalls that the journey has not been easy. She got interested on issues of in women’s rights issues to particularly family planning when she noticed they were having many children that they did not want but could not make a decision over the numbers and spacing. Even as the women champions met, a dark cloud hung over their heads. The United States Government at the time was looking at reducing overall funding of international family planning from about $700 million to $440 million. This despite the fact that there is already a huge unmet need for family planning. Under the proposal, one of the

proposed amendments would be to completely eliminate US funding for international family planning. Further reducing or eliminating funding for international family planning and reproductive health programmes would mean more unintended pregnancies, more maternal deaths and more children who lose their mothers during childbirth.

Funding Perhaps most tragically ironic, reductions in funding will result in abortions, most probably unsafe, as fewer women will have the ability to control when they become pregnant and how many children they can have. Addressing the group, Carol Peasley, President and CEO of CEDPA said international family planning has been used to score in cheap political games which should not be the case. “Yet most Americans know that family planning saves lives and that security and well being of families depend on the health of women,” Peasley observed. She added: “When women have access to family planning, maternal deaths and abortions decrease. Voices of women’s champions may be the best way to influence policy.”

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Barbro Dahlbom-Hall Using instructive ways to create good women leaders start the leadership training which is now recognised throughout the world. Having attended Uppsala University where she studied economics and political science, she was the first woman student leader. This position enabled her to sharpen her leadership skills. Having grown up in a family that affirmed girls, she was able to lead without much trouble. After completing her studies in Sweden, Barbro received a scholarship to travel to Washington, DC in the United States of America. This gave her a chance to go all over the country, where she went to different universities, namely Harvard, Stanford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She met with officials of the federal and local governments and studied how they trained their executives. She learned a great deal about training and leadership. In 1972, when there was a big breakthrough in America with the country discussing the New Equal Employment Opportunity Act that influenced working conditions, training and in particular, the issue of gender, it was Barbro’s first step into women’s issues. When she went back to Sweden, Barbro was asked to join the Swedish Parliament as an expert. At the time, the country was looking at the new law on equality and how the Swedish people can share responsibilities. After a four year stint in Parliament, she felt that it was time to move on. She went and established the Barbro Dahlbom-Hall Consultancy in 1978. Almost 33 years later, Barbro has run over 800 top executive training sessions. She has trained most of the top UN staff. Within UNICEF itself, she has trained over 200 women leaders.

…By Rosemary Okello

er parents would talk freely about equality. This was usually at the dinner table with the whole family gathered here. While this could just have been a normal family banter, for Barbro Dahlbom-Hall it was the beginning of her empowerment. “My parents agreed on equality and in our house in the 1940s and 1950s, the subject was part of our dinner conversation,” explains Hall, who is commonly referred to as Barbro. Her father told all his three daughters that their grandmother who was born in 1894 had predicted change for women. Having a mother who was a teacher when majority of women were housewives and a father who was a civil engineer further anchored her values on not only being independent but hard working as well. “My mother showed us the equality and my father showed us how men should live with women in an empowered environment,” notes Barbro. Since that time she has crossed mountains, oceans and rivers to bring the leadership training to women across the world. Such was her quest to empower the women of Kenya especially Parliamentarians. Last month found her in Kenya for the second part of the training for women parliamentarians in Mombasa. The capacity building aimed to explore and appreciate the link between gender and leadership as well as its impact on society, including public and private spaces. Supported by the Swedish Embassy in Partnership with the UN Women East Africa Regional Office in Kenya, the training saw each of the Kenyan women Parliamentarians attend with two of their mentees. The training came in the backdrop of the 2012 General Elections and amidst controversy of the twothird gender principle as stipulated in Article 97 (a) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

Gender equality Barbro Dahlbom-Hall an international trainer on women and leadership skills. She learnt early at the family dinner table about women’s empowerment. Picture by Rosemary Okello.

Transformative The Swedish Ambassador to Kenya, Her Excellency Ann Dismorr said of the session: “The training has given us a wonderful opportunity to prepare the women in advance and for them to embrace transformative leadership.” According to Dismorr, the leadership training support is in line with the Embassy’s current strategic plan which is on democracy and human rights in Kenya. She reiterated the importance of gender issues. Realising this need, the Embassy has facilitated Hall over the last five years to carry out various training sessions both in Kenya and Sweden for the women leaders. Leaders such as Martha Karua, Chebii Kilimo and Beth Mugo among other women who were in the ninth Parliament have been able to understand better what it means to be a woman leader. The training sessions have also incorporated women heading Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and female judges. This will enable them explore and appreciate the link between gender and leadership and its impact on society, including public and private space. Barbro who always tells her trainees that Gender awareness is necessary for good leadership but unless you see the patterns from a deep individual level, nothing will ever change. Barbro’s experience with the various women leaders has made her realise that Kenyan women are more powerful than they think or assume. “Like any other women in the world, Kenyan women have been used to suppressing their power, men also suppress women’s power and women don’t understand power,” observes Barbro. She finds African women as being strong and reiterates the need for them to learn how

to lead and hold management positions. Barbro has transformed the lives of many women leaders especially the Kenyan female parliamentarians who have also been able to share experiences and learn from Swedish parliamentarians and other gender equality advocates about their political system, including strategies that promote women’s political empowerment. This year’s training was unique in many ways in that apart from over 17 women parliamentarians benefiting from the training in Sweden, part of the training involved the MPs’ mentees. “Since leadership is evolving, for us to build a cadre of leaders we realised that the MPs need to mentor young women as a way of passing down the torch,” says Elizabeth Lwanga, UN Women East Africa Regional Director. Commenting on how the training has transformed her life, Lina Chebii Kilimo, an Assistant Minister for Cooperatives and Chairperson of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) said: “The training has taught me how to be a leader as a woman and it has made me see alternative ways of leadership.” Nominated MP Millie Odhiambo noted

that the training was a life changing experience. Speaking during the leadership feedback after they had attended the Barbro Dahlbom-Hall Leadership Training in Sweden, Odhiambo said there is need for them to transfer the skills they have gained to other women. “The 2012 General Elections give us an opportunity to work with other women so that we can realise the two thirds gender principle to avoid being pushed to women’s seats,” observed Odhiambo. Prof Margaret Kamar noted that the training in Sweden was empowering reiterating that it was also as a wake-up call in that it helped women leaders to re-examine themselves and develop different leadership skills that add value to the game. Cecil Mbarire, Assistant Minister for Tourism is grateful that the training equipped her with the leadership skills she needed as a new entrant into politics. Mbarire who was the first beneficiary of the Barbro training when she was a nominated MP observed: “The training gave me courage and this became critical during the campaign period. Anytime I had doubts, I looked at the books from Sweden. Barbro made a big difference in my life.” At 70, Barbro recalls what propelled her to

“Today’s leadership model is male but we are in a period of big change now. The weakest leaders are those who are afraid of women. Therefore, it’s important to work with and focus gender awareness training on men to prevent them from being so scared of women that they will try to stop them.” — Barbro Dahlbom-Hall, Leadership trainer from Sweden.

She has also trained for top corporate organisations in Sweden. Today she runs training for top men executives in all sectors of the government, private sector, United Nations, trade unions and NGOs to understand gender equalities and how it affects their work with an aim of helping them to recruit the right people. Her work speaks for itself and it is because of her gender and equality issues have become part of life in Sweden. Such has been the impact of her training which has seen many women leaders rediscover themselves. In an article she wrote, UNICEF Representative in Namibia KhinSandi Lwin said: “The women and leadership training, I eventually received from Swedish trainer Dr Barbro Dahlbom-Hall changed my life. I realised that this is a really powerful tool, especially for women, because we are way behind men in terms of leadership opportunities and appointments. We are talking here about formal leadership. We have a lot of women in society who are natural or community leaders but they do not make it into the system, they don’t make it up the system. It was something that kind of clicked in me and I felt I wanted to do this for other Third World women.” For Barbro Dahlbom-Hall the dinner conversation where her father would at times predict a new position for women in the future has been her national anthem. She keeps on stressing that society needs to be changed by women and men together, in a respectful dialogue. “Today’s leadership model is male but we are in a period of big change now. The weakest leaders are those who are afraid of women. Therefore, it’s important to work with and focus gender awareness training on men to prevent them from being so scared of women that they will try to stop them.” Barbro sees her work as adding value in the Kenya’s new dispensation. She looks forward to women embracing leadership roles and ensuring that they come out to be counted with an aim of working together with men to ensure the two-thirds gender principle as stipulated in the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Women and girls remain disproportionately affected by conflict

…By Saaleha Bamjee

frican women who bear the brunt of the continent’s conflicts now demand to play a defining role in peacekeep-

ing. A resolution to foster women’s political participation in peacekeeping and conflict management was accepted at the 2011 Women’s Platform for Action in Africa (WPAA). Under the auspices of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the WPAA meeting emphasised the urgent need for better female representation at national levels, where women can actively take part in decisions to prevent war and mediate conflict. “Gender-based sexual violence, which has become a characteristic of armed conflict, is closely linked to gender relations within that culture,” says Francoise Labelle of Mauritius who is second vice-president of PAP.

Mediation She adds: “It is only if women can play a full and equal part in the mediation processes that we will be able to build a foundation of peace.” This year marks the 11th year of United Nations’ Resolution 1325, which addresses women’s rights in war conflict, peace negotiation and reconstruction processes. It also urges increased representation of women at all levels of decision-making in conflict resolution and peace processes. However, there has never been a female UN chief peace negotiator and women constitute less than eight percent of negotiating delegations in peace processes mediated by the United Nations, while less than three per cent are peace agreement signatories. Women and young girls remain disproportionately affected during and after conflict. “It is more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier during conflict,” says Mavis Matladi of South Africa who is also the President of the PAP Women’s Caucus. “There is probably not a single African woman who has not witnessed violence against an-

other woman. It is the truth that men fight wars and the women are the victims; whether by way of infrastructure breakdown, being forced to turn to sexual exploitation for survival or the after-effects of stigmatisation, forced pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases,” observes Matladi.

Resolution She says that although governments in Africa have shown commitment to the resolutions, there has been less emphasis on the roles women can play before, during and after conflict. She adds: “Women usually play the roles but formally there is little recognition. This exclusion leads to a failure to address women’s issues.” Marie Louise Baricako, the Chairperson of the Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), an international nongovernmental organisation working on issues of gender, peace and development, observes that the problem of rape and sexual violence being used as a weapon remains a neglected topic.

Impunity “It goes unpunished and unrecognised. The perpetrators remain free bringing in a new culture of rape and sexual violence; the Pan-African Parliament must do something about this,” she says. The WPAA heard the testimony of a rape survivor who was targeted during post-election violence in Kenya. The post-election period of 2007 to 2008 left more than 1,100 people dead, 3,500 injured and up to 600,000 forcibly displaced. According to the International Criminal Court, during the two months after the disputed election results “there were hundreds of rapes, possibly more, and over 100,000 properties were destroyed in six of Kenya’s eight provinces”. The court is currently prosecuting six people accused of instigating the post-election violence.

Women who found themselves homeless due to the post election violence in Kenya. Conflict across Africa has displaced many girls and women. Picture: KenyanWoman Correspondent The rape survivor described how she was gang-raped, violated with metal implements, had acid poured over her and was left for dead while her house burnt as she watched. “I was in a bad state, my body was rotting. I couldn’t wear proper clothes because they would stick to my skin, but God has created me a new skin,” she notes. “I now have the strength to speak out and face women who have been raped and tell them to come out and stand their ground.” She lauds the efforts of women parliamentarians who are working to end the atrocities perpetrated against women. UN Women Regional Programme Director Nomcebo Manzini

says the work of the WPAA should move beyond sitting and listening to the testimonies of those brutalised by conflict. “We should be saying no to war,” she said. PAP, the resolution to form the Initiative of African Women for Peace (IAWP) was agreed upon in principle. This delegation of women representing each of the continent’s five regions will be tasked with promoting democracy, peace and security and will also lobby at international institutions such as the UN, African Union and World Bank. IAWP will also actively seek the support of like-minded associations, civil society and African women activists. Premier of the North West prov-

ince in South Africa Thandi Modise said that while policies looked good on paper, they were failing on the ground. “Governments have ratified but the implementation is lacking. It doesn’t matter how many seats we occupy, if these women don’t speak for women, we might as well not have them. There are women who can lead these countries in Africa; we are the consciences of our nations and this continent. Is it not time we spoke up collectively in one big voice?” Goodwill Ambassador to the World Health Organisation Dr. Gertrude Mongella of Tanzania and the first president of PAP, urged the meeting to not subscribe to conflict for the sake of democratisation.

Outcry over Constitution implementation

…By Joseph Mukubwa

yeri County women have decried the implementation of the constitution process saying that they are being given a raw deal. The over 50 women leaders from the six constituencies who met in Nyeri town recently said women’s issues have not been considered in the implementation of the Constitution. They regretted that women were being appointed to lower positions. The politicians who were launching the women’s report on the implementation of the constitution decried that after carefully monitoring implementation of the constitution for one year, women’s issues have not been considered in implementation.

Speaking out

The women were speaking during a forum known as ‘Foundation for Women’s Rights in Kenya, Mabadiliko ni Sasa’ in Nyeri town. In a statement which was read by the Nyeri Women Lobby Group chairperson Margaret Nyathogora, they demanded that more women be appointed to senior positions both at the national and county level.

“In the case of not more than two third gender principle, we continue to see women being appointed to lower positions. Women have not participated in the constitution implementation process because they do not have information and there is little understanding of the constitution,” she noted.

Consultation Nyathogora reiterated: “We are concerned that MPs from Nyeri County do not care about us after we elected them. They do not make efforts to consult with us on the issue of implementation. They are making laws for their own interests.” They demanded that the Government allocate resources to provide civic education at the local level. “The Government and MPs must consult with women at the grassroots level on implementation of the Constitution and more women must be appointed to senior positions both at the national and county level,” the women stressed. The women leaders also said that the Government must start putting measures to address social economic rights such as the right to food, education, health and housing to avoid

people dying of hunger. They demanded that an end be brought to camps holding internally displaced persons. They resolved to work together as women to hold leaders accountable for implementation of women’s right in the constitution. Nyeri County aspiring Senator

Nyeri women at the meeting where they decried the implementation of the Constitution process. Picture: Joseph Mukubwa and former Cabinet Minister Mutahi Kagwe urged the women to apply in large numbers for all the positions available at the local and national level so that they can be active in politics.

However, the women noted the increased transparency in appointment of public officers through advertisements, public interviews and vetting.

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Young women lobby for Parliamentary representation

…By Faith Muiruri

ritics who still perceive women political contenders as power hungry individuals out to exploit the strength of Affirmative Action set out in the constitution are in for a surprise. An agitation driven by young women aspirants is keen to shake off this tag. They are intent on pulling a political stunt that will set the stage for a tough duel come 2012 General Elections. The group dubbed Forum for Young Women in Politics plans to mobilise their numbers to triumph at the ballot box come next general elections. “It is the women who own the votes because they have the numbers. We will use our numbers to speak from a position of authority this time round,” explains Pollyne Owoko who is a co-founder of the group. She adds: “We plan to approach leading political parties and negotiate for equal terms including issuance of party tickets to our members.”

Leadership Owoko was speaking with the Kenyan Woman after attending the third regional conference for African Women in Political leadership. She is optimistic that they will become a formidable force ahead of the elections. “We intend to enter into pre-election agreements with political parties. If we give them our support during the electioneering period, then they must guarantee our candidates substantive support in their strongholds,” she reiterated. Owoko who is set to vie for the Makadara seat says that women aspirants under the forum will have similar entitlements with their male counterparts in terms of support and resources. Currently the group is engaged in fundraising. All aspirants willing to join the group have to pay a membership fee of KSh5,000 while supporters pay KSh3,000 and students

KSh1,000. The group is also selling Tee-shirts emblazoned with the words ‘I am running for office, My mum is running for office, My sister is running for office, my girl friend is running for office and my wife is running office’ to suit the different categories of voters.

Campaign Further, the group has embarked on an elaborate campaign that seeks to reverse the social, customary, political and economic barriers that stand in the way of women contestants. “We still live in a patriarchal society where women are hardly regarded as fit for leadership positions and, therefore, we are engaged in campaigns to sensitise voters to embrace women as leaders and are lobbying for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women to help them realise their full potential as leaders,” noted Owoko. The group has lined up a series of activities that are set to be rolled out soon. “Currently we are recruiting Forum representatives in every County to jumpstart our campaigns and marshal more support at the grassroots level,” she said. This will then culminate in a series of meetings at the national level to increase the visibility of women contenders ahead of the elections. “Most women lose out during the elections mainly because they are

not visible. The Forum will provide them with an opportunity to meet with voters and present their agenda ahead of the elections,” says Winnie Maru, an official of the group. Maru who intends to contest for the Eldoret North Parliamentary seat says that the young women aspirants will fight it out with other male contestants and have no intention of running for seats that have been earmarked for women candidates in the 47 counties. “We have no intention of contesting for seats that have been set out for women in the counties but we will contest for the other 290 seats to realise the spirit of the constitution,” observed Maru. The group which mainly comprises of young women aspirants aged between 18-40 years will not just sit back and expect provisions of the Constitution to work for them. Maru says that the 47 seats are not enough to increase women representation in elective bodies and, therefore, the need to explore other possibilities to boost their numbers. She says this will see a majority of women aspirants clinch overwhelming victory during the next elections.

County politics “The Forum needs representation at the 47 counties. Every County has its own issues which are better addressed at the local level. There will be a leader in every County running

“We still live in a patriarchal society where women are hardly regarded as fit for leadership positions and, therefore, we are engaged in campaigns to sensitise voters to embrace women as leaders and are lobbying for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women to help them realise their full potential as leaders.” — Pollyn Owoko

Pollyn Owoko a co-founder of the Forum for Young Women in Politics an aspirant for the Makadara seat in the next general election. Picture: KenyanWoman Correspondent.

campaigns on the need to change the perception of the society on women leaders with an emphasis on women can be good leaders if given a chance,” she adds.

Launch The launch of the forum for young women in politics comes amidst calls by the First Lady Lucy Kibaki for women aspirants to fight out for public positions instead of leaving the arena to be dominated by men. “I urge women to work tirelessly for what they want because nothing can be achieved without hard work. Indeed sweat and determination is the surest way of achieving gender equality,” urges the First Lady. She challenged women to explore other ways of boosting women’s representation without invoking section 81 (b) of the Constitution which bars any elective body from having more than two thirds of its members from one gender. The Chairperson of Kenya Commission on Human Rights (KCHR) Florence Jaoko shares similar sentiments and underscores the need for women to map out strategies through which they can ascend for political leadership without necessarily waiting for the one third gender rule to work out for them. “Do not make reference to the

Constitution. Speak out from positions of power. Look for seats and not commissions. Do not wait for incentives or to be handed out positions,” reiterates Jaoko. She observes: “You must come up with clear strategies on how you can win the elections so that you are not regarded as tokens for political power but as equal partners with similar privileges and capacity to produce leaders of equal power.” She said that women need to seriously engage with political parties and make sure that female contenders are nominated to vie in strong constituencies. “It will be ill advised for a woman contender to vie on an ODM ticket in a PNU stronghold because they will automatically lose,” Jaoko advised.

Engagement She urged women aspirants to familiarise themselves with Political Parties Act and Elections Act to enhance their level of engagement. She added: “You must stop populating around the lowest echelons of every institution because there will be no impact.” She said that those vying for seats as women representatives should not seek for re-election but should use the seats to enhance their visibility and leave a chance for other women who may aspire for political leadership in future.

Aspirants come out guns blazing in Kilifi

…By Yusuf Amin

ith guaranteed leadership opportunities in the new constitution it is now clear that men will have a rough time in vying for elective positions as many women have come out and declared their interest in contesting various seats in the next general elections. In Kilifi County women leaders have launched their political campaigns using the collapsed industries as their tools. They argue that if the industries were revived and job opportunities created local people could be employed. They, observe, this would

curb poverty that has been looming in the region. Generally, women leaders who have been in the forefront in their campaigns’ blame male leadership that has been intimidating to women aspiring candidates.

Allegations They accuse them of failure to improve infrastructures like medical facilities and roads among others, a factor that has led the region to lag behind in development. Patience Chome who recently launched her campaigns for the Senator’s seat notes with concern that despite the County having many resources that can be utilized properly

in improving the lives of the locals, this was not the case. Addressing the residents of Kaloleni Constituency, Chome said collapsed Kenya Cashewnut Factory needs to be revived as it is an income generating project. She said: “Under women’s leadership, available resources will be properly utilised because women are not corrupt and ensure that various sectors like agriculture are developed further.” Chome further promised to invest in agriculture by introducing alternative methods of farming like irrigation in dry areas like Ganze and Magarini where rainfall is scarce.

She called on all women leaders in the Province to join hands and come up with consultative forums to find a lasting solution aimed at protecting the women’s right to own land.

Meeting At a separate public meeting at Ziani in Chonyi Division in Bahari Constituency, the former Culture and Social Services Permanent Secretary Rachael Dzombo launched her campaign for the Kilifi South parliamentary seat with a call to women and youth to take part in fighting for leadership positions enshrined in the new constitution.

“I challenge the youth to come out in large numbers and register as voters to enable then elect leaders who will fight for their rights and resolve problems facing Coast residents,” Dzombo urged She criticised women who do not support those seeking elective positions and asked them to support each other in the 2012 elections. Dzombo said: “Women have many votes which can really change the leadership of this country especially in Kilifi County where land is arable and can be used in agricultural production to fight poverty and end the habit of relying on relief food every year.”

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Women rights work recognised in the Nobel Peace Prize …By Rosemary Okello

hen Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, her compatriot Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights, the Nobel Committee gave recognition to women who have been demanding for years, the equal involvement of women in all peace, security and democracy decisions. As stated by the head of the Nobel committee Thorbjorn Jagland: “We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society.” Indeed the work of women’s rights to ensure gender equality is equivalent to two steps forward and three steps backwards.

Presidency Considering that since its establishment in 1901, this is the first time that those who have been working on women’s rights have been recognised, what the Nobel Peace has done is to communicate to the world that now — the 21st Century — is the time for women’s full and equal participation at all levels of society. Linda Lowen in her blog observes that by choosing three female winners which is a first in the history of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Nobel Committee expressed the hope that this year’s prize “will help to bring an end to the suppression of women that still occurs in many countries, and to realise the great potential for democracy and peace that women can represent”. The same sentiments have been echoed by the UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet. She said: “Women’s involvement is central for achieving lasting peace and stability and yet, too often, they are excluded from the negotiating table.” Bachelet retaliated that the UN Women stand beside women around the world who are demanding that their voices be heard and they have equal participation in decision-making.

Extra ordinary This year’s prize is unique in many ways in that it is a source of pride for women from all over the world who are facing numerous obstacles in the area of women’s peace and rights. But as observed by Bachelet, what the three extraordinary women have exemplified by overcoming the huge obstacles in their quest for peace and democracy is to give hope to women of the world. “All over the world, women are demanding their rights and equal participation in peace building, democracy and development of their nations,” noted Bachelet. She added: “The UN Women was created to be a champion for women and is promoting women’s increased participation and leadership and equal involvement in all processes of peace-making, security, democratisation and reconstruction.” A report by UN Women indicates that since 1992 fewer than ten

per cent of peace negotiators have been women. Typically less than six per cent of reconstruction budgets specifically provide for the needs of women and girls. Efforts to engage women in making and keeping peace have gained momentum through UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security adopted in 2000. In Africa, women remain the greatest victims of any conflict including wars. They have been used as weapons of war and have suffered gender based and sexual violence. While women could play a big role in conflict resolution as negotiators and mediators, they have been ignored on this front and have not been accorded space to participate in peace negotiations and discussions on security matters. The Nobel awards, therefore, has given a new currency in the area of women and peace. Last year when the African Women’s Decade was launched in Nairobi, Kenya, it identified women, peace and security as one of area of intervention for the next ten years. The Decade’s objective, therefore, is to work with the African Union Peace Security Department (PSD), Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the Panel of the Wise in relation to the United Nations Security Council Resolutions: 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889 with particular focus on violence against women, peace.

Status A general observation on the status of women and peace in Africa indicates that women are worse off now in terms of conflict. A shadow report by the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) looking at 15 years after the Beijing conference indicated that several African countries have experienced internal conflict and some like the Democratic Republic of Congo are still at war. It also indicated that women in the region form the majority of Internally Displaced People (IDP). Conflicts have left many countries deeply traumatised and this has resulted in violent societies, especially towards women. Wars and conflicts in Africa have made communities, especially women, more vulnerable to HIV and Aids, and this has increased the number of widows and orphans as well as enhancing feminisation of poverty. During the post-election violence in Kenya at the beginning of 2008, women and girls fleeing their homes and those who sought sanctuary in the internally displaced person (IDP) camps were exposed to and experienced gender-based violence ranging from all forms of sexual abuse and exploitation to physical and domestic violence. The findings of an inter-agency report, undertaken by the GenderBased Violence (GBV) sub-cluster, found that encamped women repeatedly expressed fears of sexual violence as a result of makeshift sleeping arrangements in the IDP camps where males and females (not of the same family) were forced to sleep together in one tent. There were also concerns expressed over the lack of regulations

and screening procedures at the camp that allowed men from outside to enter the camp without verification of their IDP status or posing as volunteers. Sexual exploitation was also a concern as women and girls were coerced into exchanging sex for basic resources such as food, sanitary supplies and transport. In addition, in countries like Sudan and Angola among other parts of Africa, landmines and illicit proliferation of small arms are a huge menace and threat to security. These have killed and maimed thousands. Impunity and crimes against humanity, especially women, have gone unpunished. There has also been a tragic problem of thousands of child soldiers.

Implementation There is need for governments in Africa to domesticate and implement the UN Resolution 1325 which aims to increase the participation of women in conflict resolution at decision-making levels. It also seeks to protect women living in situations of armed and other conflicts or under foreign occupations. Currently, many countries have not implemented this. In many regions reprisal, shame and social stigma are attached to certain types of violence against women, particularly rape. Fear of the consequences of reporting sexual violence, such as facing rejection, alienation, divorce, being declared unfit for mar-

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and below (right) peace activist Leymah Gbowee (also Liberian ), and Yemeni human rights activist Tawakkul Karman have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Prize Committee lauded their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and women’s rights to fully participate in peace-building work. Pictures: Courtesy: Internet

riage as well as severe economic and social repercussions all discourage women from reporting the violence suffered. The recognition of Liberian president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , the first woman President in Africa who is known as a reformer and peacemaker; Leymah Gbowee, for her work for peace within Liberia who is former child soldiers after the First Liberian Civil War and Tawakul Karman, a young Yemeni activist, for organising protests within Yemen for free-

dom and human rights, using nonviolence to fuel the movement, can be captured in the words of the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, who described the three winners as “tireless advocates for peace” who had “unstintingly promoted the safety of women and women’s rights through non-violent struggle”. He added: “The values of democracy and freedom demand equality for all. These three women are a clear example of what can be done to change the world for the better.”

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Strategic committee to influence gender issues …By Barwaqo Aress

romulgation of the new Constitution heralded a bright future for women as specific statutes now accord them adequate and equal opportunities in appointments, training and advancement at all levels of civil service and public at large. Article 81 (e) protects women from acts of inequalities that tend to limit their participation in running for elective posts, and the electoral system is to be free from violence, intimidation, improper influence or corruption. Article 91 (f) also requires political parties to respect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, and gender equality and equity. These provisions are expected to go a long way in creating an environment that encourages equal participation for men and women willing to vie for elective positions.

Jurisdiction The Departmental Committee on Labour and Social Welfare has jurisdiction over matters of labour, trade union relations, manpower or human resource planning, gender, culture and social welfare, youth, children’s welfare, national heritage and betting, lotteries and sports. Nominated Member of Parliament Sophia Abdi Noor says with implementation of the new Constitution, the Committee is in a strategic position to influence issues of gender as envisaged in the new law. To bring women’s constitutional dreams to fruition, the Committee should not only be vigilant, proactive, assertive and objective in its mandate but should also move with speed towards a more gender sensitive dispensation. “Historically women have always been under represented in decision making at major levels of governance, but the new Constitution has made steps in ensuring gender equity in these aspects,” observed Noor. She added: “In executing its mandate, the Committee must keep an

From right: MPs Sophia Abdi, Rachel Shebesh and Joyce Laboso joined women leaders to discuss strategies to influence genderr equality. Picture: KenyanWoman Correspondent.

eye on Parliament, Senate, public bodies as well as electoral system to ensure that all the legal provisions on gender are implemented to the letter and spirit of the new constitution.”

Gender principals The committee is also expected to push for repealing and amending of gender retrogressive laws as well as passing of other laws and policy statements in order to fully implement the gender principles under the Constitution. In addition the committee is expected to not only push the Government to implement relevant gender laws and policies once passed but to also to take to account leaders and other persons who are perpetrators of gender discrepancies. It will inspire and be an example on gender issues. Furthermore, there are fears that the Ministry of Gender might be re-

moved in the streamlining of ministries next year in line with Article 152 of the Constitution. “If this happens, there will be an institutional gap to concerns of gender,” observes Noor. Other stakeholders have also expressed varied opinion on the merging the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC) and the Gender and Equality Commission into one body that would address gender issues. Minister for Gender, Children Affairs and Social Development Dr Naomi Shabaan argued that women issues risked being lost within the bigger framework of the human rights agenda and that such a move would water down whatever gains women have made in the past. The minister argued that when gender issues were compartmentalised into some departments, they do not get the adequate financial back-

ing as well as the prominence for implementation. Shabaan said an independent Gender and Equality Commission would have been able to serve as an oversight independent body to ensure that issues bordering on women’s rights were implemented as enshrined in the Constitution. The Taveta MP added that rights of disabled persons and marginalised communities risk being swept under the carpet and forgotten if the proposal is followed through. “Only an independent gender commission would clearly articulate their issues,” she argued. According to Shabaan: “Women are an important constituency that constitutes 52 per cent of the Kenyan population, out of which 45 per cent are voters while persons with disabilities make up four per cent of the population.” Shabaan stressed the need for a

national machinery to anchor on and facilitate the implementation of all gains for women in the Constitution, arguing that the country has had a history of discrimination of women and the gains in the Constitution did not come on a silver platter. “We must ensure that the road on which we travelled to get these gains is not destroyed though we will face many challenges,” she added. Shabaan identified some of the country’s international commitments to promote women affairs as the Convention on the Elimination of discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) and the United Nations Declaration on Violence Against Women. Others are the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) 1994, and the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies (NLFLS) for the advancement of women.

Calling for increased women’s political participation …By Karani Kelvin

n a recent meeting organised by the United Nations Women, leaders from across the globe called for greater participation of women in politics. The women leaders drawn from several countries observed that although there have been significant changes in politics, women, especially from Arab and African countries still had a long way to go.

Practices They pointed out that those countries that do not include women in their political agenda are losing out on potentialities that women can bring and indulging in practices that have been passed by events. Speaking during the forum, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the first female Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago said that there is still a glass ceiling that stands in the way of women’s empowerment. She said women need to come

together to punch holes in the ceiling. “After all, women hold half of the sky,” she said, quoting a Chinese proverb. Lady Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of Foreign Affairs and Security Policy as well as Vice President of the European Commission, asked women leaders to lower the ‘ladder’ so that other women could also rise up. While observing that her generation has many firsts, it has the responsibility of ensuring that other women followed in their successes. The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton called for the inclusion of women in politics. She observed that there can be no democracy where half the population is marginalized or prevented from political participation. Listening to the many speakers present at this forum, one gets the feeling that much more needs to be done if women are to fully participate in politics. While there is an expectation that at least 30 per cent

of legislators be women, many countries are yet to attain the parity. Back home, women are still facing great odds in the political forum. While the country has made noteworthy steps in the direction of women’s empowerment in the political forum, we cannot afford to bask on the shore of complacency with the gains made this far.

Women follow proceedings in a meeting geared towards lobbying for increased representation of women in leadership positions. Picture: KenyanWoman Correspondent

Concern The casual acceptance of affirmative action and the apparent failure to fully implement constitutional requirements on gender are disturbing. We can only hope that when the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will be fully operational, it will ensure that political parties meet demands for gender parity clauses within the Constitution.

It is an open fact that political parties in Kenya do not meet the enshrined constitutional requirements on gender representation. Quite a number of them pay lip service to the whole idea. It is important that all political parties ensure gender parity in their structures. This is the only way in which the country can fully tap into the potentialities of its people, both male and female. And it is not political parties alone; the IEBC also needs to ensure that voter registration reflects

the gender equality in its distribution. One of the observations made in the Kriegler Report that looked into the post election violence is that there was a low registration of women as voters. While Kenyans can casually speak of women being half of the population of the country and should therefore rely on that to entrench themselves politically, there is need to realise that numbers alone do not count until they are found in the voter register.

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Land rights remain a challenge at the Coast …By Emeldah Rutendo

ike many other women at the Coast Province 57-yearold Mama Mariamu Abdalla owns nothing. In fact, she does not have a claim to the land that she now occupies which was owned by her late father. The land was subdivided among her brothers. However, because she is not married she was given a small piece of land for her to build a shack which could be demolished anytime her elder brother may want it back. Mariamu’s story replicates that of many other women at the Coast Province who have no claim to land as property or inheritance. In fact, they are not even aware that they have a right to own land and property.

Traditions The women are subjected to customary practices and traditions that deny them the privilege of owning, inheriting and even disposing of property. Women at the Coast have harrowing tales of how they have been denied the enjoyment of these rights. Zaituni Omar Dzivwa, a mother of five separated from her husband 14 years ago decided to go back to her family home in Diani Location in Msambweni Constituency. “I was shocked to find out that the three acres of land which belonged to my father had already been taken over by close relatives who were not ready to give me a portion to construct a house,” explains Dzivwa. She adds: “I was shocked to learn that my elder brother had already

been thrown out of my father’s house. I persuaded my close relative who claimed he owned the land to give us at least an acre but he refused.” The same story is told by Kadzo Kahindi of Mwatate who was ejected from her home immediately her husband died. “I was not given a chance to give my last respect to my beloved husband, I was thrown out by my late husband’s relatives who informed me and my three children that we have nothing inherit,” explains Kahindi. Like women from other parts of the country, those at the Coast find their hands tied by a patriarchal mind set which has underprivileged women’s ability to own land especially if their spouses die or they are obliged to inherit the land without a title deed. “After three years, I went back to my late husband’s home to inquire if my two boys could be given land but the situation was still the same. ‘Nothing to inherit’ was the response,” explains Kahindi. She adds: “I’m tongue tied as I don’t know what to tell my children when they grow up. This is unfair. I can’t believe this is happening to me.”

Belief During a public forum on Land Reform and Decentralisation Project that brought together women from Msambweni, Shimoni, Mariakani, Mwatate and Kinango areas that was organised by Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida–Kenya), it emerged that women’s psych to fight for their rights is undermined by customary beliefs. These include fear of being be-

A demonstration farm. Picture: KenyanWoman Correspondent.

Men at a coconut farm in Coast Province where women’s rights to land remains a bone of contention. Picture: KenyanWoman Correspondent witched or isolated from the community as an outcast if they get involved in land issues which should only be addressed by men. Coordinator of Kwale local land team, Christine Musau blamed traditional beliefs terming it a major challenge facing women at the Coast, a practice that has not empowered women in the society. Musau noted that patriarchal cultures restricted women from mingling with men on land issues. “Women have limited chances of possessing land and are mostly barred by culture, fear and lack of empowerment,” noted Musau. She added: “They often have access to it through marriage as they are regarded not as important as men in the African traditional setting.”

There is need for women to be empowered by creating awareness of their rights through public barazas and to educate them on the need to get access to their personal land. Back in Msambweni and Mwatate constituency, Dzivwa and Kahindi are both determined to repossess their land from the grabbers saying that it is payback time. “The new Constitution gives women a lot of privileges especially in relation to owing land.”

Assistance They have called on the Government to help them get the land back and to sue the illegal land grabbers. However, Musau challenged the women to claim and possess land under the new dispensation. “I urge you to get hold of the existing opportunity offered

by the new Constitution to forge forward and claim your land rights, nothing is impossible,” she noted. Even after the introduction of free primary education, early marriages and unwanted pregnancy in primary and secondary schools has been the main challenge that compromises development and empowerment of the girl child, an issue that has lead to high levels of illiteracy. Statistics reveal that over 80 school girls drop out of school in a period of two months thus increasing the illiteracy levels at the Coast Province. The situation proves that most women especially who those who live in rural areas have been denied their fundamental rights to own land through lack of knowledge to claim what belongs to them.

Bill on property rights set to open more opportunities for equality …By Karani Kelvin

istory shows that the right of women to own property independently or within the institution of marriage has never been a popular thing. Societies all over the world did not see the need for such given the presumption that women would have their needs catered for by the property owned by their husbands or fathers. In other societies, women were seen as part of a man’s property. It was not uncommon for men to talk of their farms, houses, livestock and women.

Consequences Within marriage, all property belonged to the man and he could, therefore, do as he pleased with it. It did not matter what contribution the woman made or what implication it would have on her for the man to do as he pleased with the property. The resultant consequence of such actions has been the diminished status of women within marriage as dependants. One also notes that such actions can explain the feminisation of poverty in our societies. On average, women are poorer than men. This can be traced to structures within marriage or otherwise that make it difficult for them to own property. In an effort to end this unfortunate state of affairs, women’s rights advocates have argued against the status quo. They refute the idea of

men having the right to own property and women having no such right on the basis of sex alone. They point out that people should be free to own property regardless of their sex. It is such efforts that have led to the crafting and subsequent enactment of legislations that provide for the right of women to own property. The Matrimonial Property Bill 2011 is an example of such a legislation in Kenya that seeks to safeguard women’s property rights. This Bill in particular caters for the property rights of women in marriage. Evidently, the crafters were cognizant of the need to enshrine such rights to protect women from loss resulting from any eventuality. The Matrimonial Property Bill 2011 is divided into five parts which unequivocally addresses the concerns women have had about ownership of property within marriage. The first section sets the stage by first giving us

the short title, commencement and interpretation of the bill. In the second part, the general principles of the bill are outlined. Here, married women are given equal status to married men; they are given the right to acquire separate property during the subsistence of a marriage; wives in polygamous marriages are given equal status and the “interest of any person in any immovable or movable property acquired before a marriage shall not be affected by the marriage”. This is, however, subject to section seven of the Bill which defines matrimonial property. The third part of the Bill speaks to the definition, nature and rights of spouses in matrimonial property. Married women are given equal rights in matrimonial property irrespective of their contribution and as such, during dissolution or divorce, the property shall be divided accordingly. Women in polygamous mar-

Women in polygamous marriages will also have equal rights in the matrimonial property. However, wives may choose to have their own separate matrimonial property with their husband. This will of course be very important in situations where one wife or more wants to depend on the efforts of another and make a living out of them.

riages will also have equal rights in the matrimonial property. However, wives may choose to have their own separate matrimonial property with their husband. This will of course be very important in situations where one wife or more wants to depend on the efforts of another and make a living out of them.

Protection Section 12 of the Bill is also important as it seeks to protect matrimonial property from arbitrary disposal and protects women from being evicted from their matrimonial homes without regard to the stipulated laws. Given that we have witnessed women being arbitrarily evicted from their matrimonial homes and their property being disposed without consulting them, this section will obviously curb such unfortunate practices. The last two parts of the Bill, part four and five, outline the right to own separate property and the question of the declaration of rights with regard to matrimonial property respectively. The rights of women to matrimonial property, one notes, are grossly disregarded. The nature of our societies is such that they do not make space for such rights. In fact, as noted, there are extreme cases in which women are considered as part of the property. As such, one hopes that the positive, forward looking and emancipating Matrimonial Property Bill 2011 will bring to an end the blatant disregard for women’s property rights in

marriage. Evidently, there is need for Kenyans to respect and uphold the spirit of this bill in order to protect the rights of half of the population.

Structures There is also need for the setting up of structures through which women can easily channel their grievances with respect to matrimonial property and have them addressed. Similarly, the promulgation of such a law should go beyond publication in the national Gazette to civic education. Having or making laws for people is never enough without a thorough process of making them understand why such laws exist in the first place. In a country like ours in which some laws are seen by the people to be going against their cultural and long held beliefs, the benefits of civic education in such circumstances cannot be stated simply. For any law to meet its positive end and be seen to be in the interest of common good, it’s important that the people for whom such law has been put in place be made aware of its benefits. It will be encouraging if we were to see the relevant ministries and government departments working hand in hand with gender based nongovernmental organisations to ensure that the people fully appreciate the letter and spirit of the Matrimonial Property Bill 2011. Only then, perhaps, shall we see this country make a solid step in the direction of women’s property rights in marriage.

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Oloitoktok women dare cultural practices

Gender equality is fundamental to the progress of all people …By Grace Igandu

…By Joyce Wangui

he silent tears of women in Oloitoktok District of Kajiado County cannot go unnoticed any more. For a long time, these women have suffered at the hands of their men. Women in the Maasai culture own nothing, they inherit nothing and live their lives clamped under the authority of men. Women’s rights advocates say it has been nearly impossible to expect a Maasai woman to be elected to political office. Here, patriarchy dominates and has gone unquestioned for decades until recently when women realised that they too, need a sense of belonging. And fast! Oloitoktok is predominantly inhabited by the Maasai, a people with a strong sense of culture. This community is famously known for pastrolism, which is their major social and economic mainstay. Cows are integral to Maasai lifestyle, providing them with food and a livelihood as well as their culture with marriage customs revolving around the animal.

Location Oloitoktok stretches right to the border of Tanzania and bustles with activities as tourists enjoy the wildlife of Amboseli National Park, which lies a few kilometres from the town. Maasai culture propels men to positions of leadership in the community. Here male patriarchy dominates while the female gender is completely disregarded. Women are viewed as novices where leadership is concerned and are hardly given any opportunity to prove their worth. To a Maasai man, a woman is just like a child. She is there to listen and obey the rules and failure to adhere to that norm is risky. A woman is there to procreate, cook and ensure that cows return home safely after grazing. With the new constitution, opportunities for women are numerous and present a chance for women to excel in all areas and in all spheres. The new law has opened up spaces for women to vie for elective seats. Sadly, Oloitoktok women, save for a few ‘who have seen the light’ are not even aware of the gains in the constitution. Majority do not know the contents of the constitution as they are not allowed by their men to see the document. Those who have come across it have been brainwashed not to believe certain clauses that call for women’s emancipation. Civil society organisations and churches

Maasai women at a meeting. Some of the Oloitoktok women daring to walk the male path. Picture: KenyanWoman Correpsondenti

among other stakeholders have held rigorous civic education campaigns on the new laws, particularly targeting women. This has not augured well with the male patriarchs. Men believe that if women get too knowledgeable about their gains in the constitution, they will outsmart them. However, the women are not be deterred as they have woken up and are ready to battle it out with men, in leadership.

Participation Lillian Mogiti Nyandoro heads the governance project of a local NGO, Abantu for Development. Her project targets Oloitoktok women, with an aim to empower them to take positions of leadership. In a recent workshop for community leaders in the area, she questioned participants on the issue of culture. “The reason why Maasai people continue to lag behind in many fronts is because they peg everything to culture,” noted Nyandoro. However, many women’s organisations have tried to bring to an end the issue of girls being discriminated against. Luckily for women in Oloitoktok, the new constitution calls for an end to all forms of gender discrimination including early marriages. Women in this region are now using this clause to petition for their rights. Esther S. Apale, Director of Ewang’an Women Unity Advocacy Programme in Oloitoktok, says they have rescued several girls from marriage. “We want our girls to go to school and become meaningful in society,” observes Apale. She says that with the new constitution, her organisation will ensure that women in the area venture into leadership positions.

Advocacy They have lobbied for women to be leaders in churches, schools and micro-finance institutions. This has yielded positive results as the area now has more women in leadership. “Illiteracy is a major hindrance here but you do not need a university degree to bring development in your area,” noted Apale. It will be a tough call for Maasai women as they seek representation within the new political dispensation. According to Maasai culture women must face down when addressing their men and often, hold a strand of grass to apologise in advance, in case they offend them in their words.

Those who have made it like Mary Kahingo are looked upon as women of substance. Kahingo is the only woman assistant chief in Namelok sub-Location, Kimana location of Oloitoktok District. Even as she works for the local government, she never fails to realise the other burden ahead of her — that of women’s empowerment. “Women have so many problems because they lack education. As a leader, I am now trying to empower women, rescue those in early and abusive marriages, advocate for their education including that married women,’ she says. Kahingo is not shy to stand in front of male elders to challenge them on the importance of educating girls. “A woman standing in front of men and speaking up to them is generally unthinkable in Maasai culture but I have managed to cross that river,” she admits. Kahingo explains: “You have to talk to the men, once they know what we are doing they understand. Now being an assistant chief, I am not afraid to tell male leaders to help women.”

Development Kahingo’s leadership is exemplary and her community describes her as the saviour for women’s empowerment. She does not use chest thumping to raise issues but at the same time is not cowed by men or culture. In her own capacity, she supports women organisations and urges women to form self help groups that will boost them economically. This will enable them take charge of their own development; and even market their products better. The Maasai women in Oloitoktok are now educated about the new constitution. They are fully aware of the clause that calls for equal rights of women and men in the areas of owning property including land as well as rights to inheritance among others. The Bill of Rights guarantees social, economic and cultural rights while recognition of the cultural practices that are harmful to women as being unlawful is big gain for women. Interestingly, men are coming up in large numbers to support women’s emancipation. They have vowed to support them in next year’s elections, right from the grassroots to national levels. They have realised that women are the bedrock of society for without them, no development can take place.

here has been a lot of controversy and heated debates surrounding the proposed one-third of seats for women in parliament. On one side, pro-women groups and activists as well as female legislators have been actively advocating for the retention of the reserved seats. On the other side of the debate, are groups and individuals who strongly feel that having women occupy one-third of the seats will be doing them an unnecessary favour. These issues have punctuated the gender debate with the questions: “Why should we be forced to vote women into parliament?” and “Why should women receive special treatment when there has already been a significant amount of affirmative action?” The first step that needs to be taken is to clarify the intentions surrounding this move towards reserving seats for women, as highlighted in Article 81(b). The group of people who view the one-third representation as being unfair need to understand that the progress set to be made by women is not a favour but an overdue right. Second, contrary to popular belief, it is conceivable to have women occupy at least 72 out of 290 seats in Parliament. There are many Kenyan women, just as there are many Kenyan men who are perfectly capable and qualified to lead this country effectively. After all, women make up a large percentage of the population.

Representation Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Denmark are known for having high representations of women in their Parliaments. Additionally, Rwanda is now leading in the world by having the highest number of women occupying a Parliament, at 56 percent. It has made African women. In fact 24 out of 80 seats in the lower house of parliament are reserved for women. In Uganda, a woman from each of the 39 Ugandan districts are elected to take up parliamentary seats. The quota system of reserving seats is not new. President Kwame Nkrumah, was the first African leader to introduce the reservation of seats in Parliament as early as 1960. Since then, other nation-states including Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania have also taken major steps to accommodate women in the political arena. These examples serve to show that reserved seats for women are not only plausible but have been successfully introduced in several countries. Hence, the resistance by one group of people to have women occupy one-third of the seats may represent a conflict of interest. Men represent a large majority of the parliamentary seats and several of them may be afraid of losing their positions if women are allowed to displace the status quo that has been maintained since Kenya attained her independence. However, Kenya is one of the nationstates that has been actively working towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Goal 3 of the MDG’s clearly calls for countries to promote gender equality and equity. Finally, by reserving Parliamentary seats for women, the great gender disparity that exists in Kenyan politics and leadership will be narrowed down. Using quotas of reserved seats is, therefore, not about creating goodwill and doing women a favour but about breaking male dominance over Kenya’s political system.

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Mainstreaming gender in HIV intervention

recent studies including Kenya Aids Indicator Survey (KAIS, 200), the Kenya Modes of Transmission Study (KMoT 2008) and the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) data of 2008-2009. The Kenya National Aids Control Council (NACC) has taken cognisance the importance of gender integration in programmes. “To this end, NACC established a Gender Technical Committee in 2001 to ensure that gender dimensions of the HIV and Aids are translated into practical tools in decision–making,” explained Orago. He added: “This would ensure programming promoted effective gender responsiveness within HIV and Aids policy formulation and im-

…By Henry Owino

t is now about 30 years since the first HIV case was reported. However, although medicine that can treat the scourge has not been invented, efforts have been put in place to help counter infections. However, the interventions have not been favourable to women. Programmes on HIV and Aids which address gender inequality as a central goal have not been maximised effectively. Harmful gender norms and practices are some of the factors identified which have increased HIV risk for particular populations and burden of the epidemic particularly for women and children. According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) women are 8.4 per cent more likely to be infected than men at 5.4 per cent. With this trend, results from the 2008-2009 indicated that 6.3 per cent of Kenyan adults age 15-49 are infected with HIV with women at 8.0 per cent and men at 4.3 per cent.

Research National Aids Control Council (NACC) chairperson, Professor Mary Getui noted that in any HIV/ Aids research carried out in Kenya, 65 per cent of infected people are always women and the remaining 35 per cent is shared between men and children. Women again are the mostly affected gender when their children are infected while men bear less burden in comparison. Among generalised epidemics worldwide, Kenya registers one of the highest disparities in HIV prevalence between males and females. The female-to-male prevalence ratio is 1.9 to 1 and this is higher than that found in most population-based studies in Africa. Getui urged men and women to work together in the fight against new infections and its spread because unity is paramount if the scourge is to be eliminated. “For any bird to fly, it must have two wings. It is, therefore, important that women and men join hands to work together and fly high to see to it that HIV/Aids is contained not

Dr Naomi Shaban and other experts during the launch of National Action Plan to Mainstream Gender in HIV responses in Kenya. Picture: KenyanWoman Correspondent. only to the female gender but to both gender including children,” observed Getui said. Getui was speaking at the recent launch of the National Action Plan for Gender Mainstreaming in HIV that will provide a platform to accelerate action and monitor responses to the issues of women, girls and gender equality in the context of HIV in Kenya.

Mainstreaming Getui reiterated that gender mainstreaming is increasingly gaining importance as a significant building block for sustainable development. “The action plan will help explore international and national processes and practices to determine gaps and draw recommendations which subsequently will help guide the outlined actions aimed at addressing outstanding gender issues in HIV in Kenya,” noted Getui. For these reasons, partnership of private sector and public organisations are asked to come together in the support of the National Action

Plan that is aimed at accelerating the country for action on women, girls, gender equality and HIV issues. A National Action Plan with deliberate efforts towards the realisation of the third Kenya National HIV and Aids Strategic Plan (KNASPIII) approach and emphasises that ‘human rights, gender equality and responsiveness’ issues are addressed has been launched. Speaking recently during the launch of the National Action Plan for mainstreaming gender in HIV responses in Kenya for 2009/20102012/2013, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Development, Dr Naomi Shabaan, said the government is committed in supporting all organisations initiatives aimed at stopping HIV/Aids.

Concern The Ministry is concerned that when majority of people cannot be self dependent due to sickness, then poverty levels go up and thereby increasing chances of new-infections. “I want to assure those gathered here today that government through

the Ministry of Special Programmes together with the Ministry of Public Health and that of Gender is committed in the fight against HIV/Aids in Kenya,” Shabaan said. She added: “The National Action Plan will be adopted to help eliminate this scourge.” According to the Director of National Aids Control Council (NACC), Professor Alloys Orago the complex challenges caused by gender disparities in HIV and Aids call for an extraordinary response to the epidemic.

Epidemic Globally, years of engagement in the control and management of the epidemic have shown that HIV and Aids programmes that address gender inequality as a central goal maximise their overall effectiveness. According to Orago this was for the reason that NACC took up the challenge to come up with the national action plan strategy. However, he said gender disparities in programming outcomes have remained pertinent as evidenced by

plementation in Kenya”. Orago said many workshops and symposiums were held with various local and international organisations to explore in-depth HIV prevention needs for women. He noted that the symposiums provided opportunities for HIV service organisations, women, men, people living with Aids, faith-based organisations, policy makers and HIV researchers to evaluate the current programme approaches and identify what needs to be done to make them more responsive to women’s needs.

Prevention “We even had the first women’s HIV prevention symposium for two days that was held in between August 31 to September 1, 2010 in Nairobi under the theme “Making HIV Prevention Responsive to Women’s Needs”. According to the Kenya Aids Indicator Survey (KAIS 2007) the national prevalence is 7.1 per cent among Kenyan adults aged 15-64 and 7.4 per cent among those aged between 15-49 with a higher burden of disease being in the rural areas where 70 per cent of HIV infected Kenyans reside. “This means that about 1.4 million adults are living with HIV,” said Getui. The National Action Plan is expected to roll down to all parts of the country especially to the rural areas where access to preventives contraceptives may be nightmare.

Young girls at higher risk of infection

…By Henry Owino

revalence in HIV/AIDS among females has doubled compared to their males counterparts who are also infected by the disease. HIV prevalence among females is said to be 8.0 percent while male is at 4.3 percent making the femaleto-male ratio almost two to one. This is much higher than that found in most population based studies in Africa. These differences in prevalence persist in all provinces in the country with women bearing a higher burden of the epidemic.

Statistics HIV prevalence among youth aged 15-24 years is alarming. Young women in this age group are four times more likely to be HIV positive than men thus 4.5 percent and 1.1 percent respectively. In urban population prevalence among women is three times more than men at approximately 10 per cent compared to four percent.

Addressing journalists at a hotel in Nairobi, Dorothy Onyango of the Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya (WOFAK) said, prevalence is even significantly higher among women who are separated or divorced and widowed compared to other adults. She noted that HIV is by far the highest among women who are widowed in Nyanza Province, for instance, approximately one in every two windows is infected. “Contrary to previous beliefs that marriage is a safety net against HIV infection, almost half new HIV infections in Kenya occur within union or regular heterosexual partnerships,” observed Otieno. She reiterated that poverty is one of the predisposing factors to contracting HIV by women. The reason for this being that many women engage in commercial sex work as a business for money and in the process their clients contribute about 14 per cent of new infections in the country. Beyond biological vulnerability, gender norms results in socially

constructed unequal power relations between men and women. The power to decide on whom to have sex with, how and why often lies with male leaving the female with little or no choice to negotiate for safe sex.

Resources Moreover, often educational aspirations of girls are cut short in the event of scarce family resources, to undergo female genital mutilation that leads to forced and or early marriages. This further compromises their literacy levels and subsequently curtails access to information. Approximately a third of all Kenyan women are circumcised. Another predisposing factor is lack of information on HIV prevention which is not easily accessible especially to women and children particularly in rural areas due to lower literacy levels and distance to service delivery points. The situation is worse among people with disabilities who comprise of 1.3 million of the total population in Kenya.

Asunta Wagura from Kenya Network of Women with Aids {KENWA} says gender based violence is a cause and consequence of HIV and Aids. According to Wagura sexual violence in which the victims are often women and girls poses higher risks to HIV transmission. She reiterates that 12 per cent of women aged 15-49 reported that their first sexual intercourse was forced against their will while one in five Kenyan married have experienced sexual violence. “Severe forms of female genital mutilation (FGM) lead to dry sex which potentially poses higher risks to HIV infections and communities that still carry out this barbaric initiation need to stop,” notes Wagura. She regrets that HIV care and support as well as other related services which are aimed at lessening the effects of the epidemic are not widely available especially to women and adolescent girls whose mobility is socially constrained particularly in rural areas.

More men tend to keep a higher number of multiple sexual partners than women exposing them to greater risk of infection. In the humanitarian situations like internally displaced people’s (IDPs) and refugee camps as well as slums sexual assaults and exploitation, transactional sex for survival, increased rates of divorce and separation, forced early marriages among young girls are some the anecdotal evidence for high prevalence.

Services Healthcare services including anti-retroviral (ARVs) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) drugs are not readily available in camps. To make matters worse, only a third of Kenyans have knowledge of their HIV status posing risk to their partners in case of exposure. Data on access and uptake of HIV testing and counselling indicates that more women 57 per cent more than 40 percent men are tested and receive their results.

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Legless and handless granny makes millions

…By Joseph Mukubwa

disabled woman in Nyeri County has stunned many people by drawing using her mouth and making thousands of shillings from her

paintings. Fifty- six- year old Mary Wanja Mureithi, a resident of Kimathi estate in Nyeri town has proved to the world that disability is not inability. Wanja, who does not have legs and hands, has been surviving from using her mouth in painting portraits that earn her money for her upkeep. “The sky is the limit for me since I am capable of putting food on the table for me and my two children through the sale of my artwork that I sell abroad in countries like Germany,” she says. She has defied all odds and is focused in her work as she ply her own business unlike other disabled lot that depend on hand outs from people. “I am happy God gave me the mouth to help me earn my living honestly. I cannot beg for survival,” she adds. Working from her wheel chair and at times from her bed, Wanja strategically hangs the portraits of President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, something that attracts visitors to her place of work. The paintings are part of a large collection in the house, displaying artistry that anyone can confuse for normal photos. Wanja lost both her hands and legs to a polio attack when she was six years, an attack that led her family members to neglect her at home most of the time.

Wanja adds that though she had lost hope in life, she got encouraged as nobody wanted to be associated with me. “My life was shattered but from then my life took a turn for the better.” She says in her residence in Nyeri town. She continued painting after she moved to the Dagoretti School for the Disabled in the outskirts of Nairobi where she learnt painting skills using her mouth, even as she continued with formal education. Wanja sat for her Certificate for Primary Education (CPE) at Dagoretti, but claims the institution was reluctant to take her to Alliance Centre for her secondary education. Instead, and after sometime, a matron at the institution dumped her at her Mathira home, after Wanja and three other disabled students demanded to continue with their education. Still, this did not dampen her desire for education. At home, she developed an interest

Pictures: Joseph Mukubwa.

where they are exhibited and sold thereafter money is sent to me,” she adds. For decades her main market has been the Germany based Eric Stegman Foundation that was introduced to her in 1966 and since then, paintings has been her main source of livelihood and now she is independent. Though she refuses to disclose how much she earns painting, Wanja says it is enough to sustain her family, invest and help the disadvantaged in the neighbourhood. “I do not beg, I give – that’s how much I make,” she says Wanja whose eight paintings have been published in the international post cards and magazines. Today, Wanja lives well amongst her people where she contributes to the community events

“A disabled Briton Ian Bomper that I encountered at Mbagathi hospital in Nairobi where I was admitted inspired me after I found her painting using her mouth. A huge chunk of my art goes to Germany, where they are exhibited and sold thereafter money is sent to me,” . — Mary Wanja Mureithi

Determination But bearing in mind that she needed her own income, she decided to move to town from her Kiaruhiu home in Mathira district. During her frequent visits to hospital at the tender age, she lay in hospital ward where she was very disappointed that her father went around the village saying that she had died since he was considering her disability as a curse. But Wanja kept praying and made her own plans while in hospital. “A disabled Briton Ian Bomper that I encountered at Mbagathi hospital in Nairobi where I was admitted inspired me after I found her painting using her mouth,” she says. Wanja henceforth developed an interest in painting while at Mbagathi hospital where she stayed for a long period.

Mary Wanja Mureithi a woman who has defied disability and has become a giant in the world of painting. Above: is a display of samples of her work

in reading secondary school books used by her siblings. They also guided her, by helping her to register for Kenya Junior School Examination (KJSE) as a private candidate two years later, attaining an impressive score and proceeded to enroll for her fourth form where she scored Division III. As she continued to improve in her artistic skill, a German friend encouraged her to join an Association of Mouth Painters that is based in Germany. For the last 30 years, the 56-year-old single mother of two grown children has been earning a living from her art, painting and exhibiting her work, locally and abroad. “A huge chunk of my art goes to Germany,

just as anybody else. “My art work has made me level relationships with villagers and family members who claimed that my disability was a curse. I thank God for giving me a talent to prove to His population that everybody can work and earn a living.” Wanja says while smiling. Besides painting, Wanja is also a musician and sings in the Mathira widow’s group where she is the coordinator is due to release an album soon. She has also been using her artwork in promoting peace. “I had lost hope in life, suffered discrimination and neglect but I have proved to my family and the whole world that I’m capable of feeding myself and my family,” she reveals. Her father ultimately, and in a rare gesture in

Africa reconciled with her and gave her a piece of land as her inheritance. His action shows that he views me as one of his sons and gave me a piece of land in Kiaruhiu. Wanja calls on the disabled people to use their God-given talents and engage in some activities that will make them self reliant in their life. Wanja is opposed to the Government’s plan of giving shillings 1,500 as a subsidy to the disabled and poor people. “Even the Bible condemns free things. The money is not a solution but a cause of crisis. We should show them how to generate income instead of introducing them to begging,” she says. The painter has little patience with those who exploit their physical handicap to sit by the roadside to beg while they still have the talent to utilize to earn a living. For her, there can be no dignity in begging as it is only serves to stigmatize the whole lot of the less disadvantaged in the society and casting burden on their families and community.

Independece For now, Wanja’s dream is to see her daughter Jessica Wamucii continue with education and become self- reliant like her 33-year-eldest son David Mureithi who runs a business in Nyeri town. This should not be difficult as she says she cannot inculcate in her children to espouse the values of hard work and independent to win respect from family, friends and the community. “We see our mother as a very inspiring mother. Some work she does we cannot be able to do despite having both hands. It’s like a miracle,” says her daughter Wamucii. Wanja observes that like many Kenyans, her priority is peace. Her art is a plea of peace from all disabled people who can’t defend themselves when attacked. “I have to make leaders see what peace is. I have to make leaders see what I mean,” she says jovially before resuming her painting. Wanja, whose dream is to end discrimination against the disabled people, plans to start a special school of art for the disabled in future. As the old adage goes - a picture is worth a thousand words, Mureithi’s portraits are simple, truly attractive and pleasing. When you come closer to her art work, one is able to recognize that the unbelievable paintings done using her mouth.

Strategies set out to create awareness killer disease …By Joyce Wangui

he Kenya Cancer Association has initiated outreach programmes that involves creating awareness in churches, schools and among women groups’ networks on the killer disease. Dr David Makumi of the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi believes that creating a multi-faceted awareness of cervical cancer is the surest way of combating the disease.

Makumi has been instrumental in bridging the information gaps that exist in cancer awareness. “I have been talking to women in different forums and my messages centre on screening for all forms of cancer and not only the cervical. This, I believe is very effective because word will eventually spread around.” In-reach strategies involve talking to eligible women while they are attending health facilities. Makumi also works with posttreatment patients in a support

group in a bid to offer them with psycho-social support. “When patients sit together, they share ideas on how they are coping with the disease and this is a plus in as far as managing the disease is concerned.” Makumi’s good work landed him a coveted international award early this year. The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) is an award given to those personalities who have shown consistent dedication to cancer care. He is the first African

to receive the award. “I was humbled by the award and will continue serving Kenyans in this capacity,” is all he can say. In a bid to save Kenyan women, the Kenya Cancer Association has partnered with the Ministry of Public Health and Kenyatta National Hospital among other likeminded organisations in mainstreaming the disease in all health programmes. “KECASA was very instrumental in drafting the National Cancer Control Strategy, which is a five-

year government plan to reduce the incidences of cancer and improve the quality of life of those who develop cancer in Kenya,” notes Makumi proudly. Makumi also notes that KECASA engages the government in formulating policies and legislations surrounding cancer, to come up with a Cancer Control Bill in Parliament. “I can assure you the legislators are currently debating the bill and could soon be passed into law.”

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

More women at risk of cervical cancer

…By Joyce Wangui

t is regrettable that in this day and age, Kenyan women are still at risk of contracting and even dying of cervical cancer, something that can be prevented. Doctors agree that screening for cervical cancer by women aged between 35 and 40 could greatly reduce their chances of contracting the disease. According to David Makumi, manager of the Oncology programme at Aga Khan Hospital it is ‘criminal’ for the government to allow women to die of a disease that can be treated. Makumi notes that cervical cancer is easily detectable, making it possible to tame it an early stage.

Expense “It is also relatively cheap to screen for this type of cancer and I believe the Government can roll out necessary resources in all parts of the country to help women screen for the disease,” he says. According to Makumi, majority of cervical cancer cases are associated with a virus known as Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is common to sexually active women of 35 to 40 years. “Our government has not done enough to incorporate HPV messages when creating awareness for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and, therefore, many women do not know they are at risk of contracting the virus,” observed Makumi adding that at least 80 per cent of sexually active people, including men are infected with HPV at some point in their lives. However, majority do not know they have the virus as the symptoms are rather subtle. Kenya has the vaccine to prevent cervical cancer but majority of women are not aware because of the information gap that exists. “If women had access to this information, I am sure they will not wait until the last minute to get screened. However, how many women know this?” posed Makumi. He added: “I still believe the Government can a lot in as far as outreach is concerned.” Makumi reiterated the need for the ministries of Public Health and Medical Services to prioritise the issue of creating more awareness. “This involves going to places as far as Garissa and Pokot among other far flung areas and spreading the messages of screening and treatment,” Makumi noted. He explained: “This will also involve a holistic media campaign through advertising as well as training health workers in the districts as this will ensure women are far from the risk.” With as low of KSh5,000, a woman can access a single dose of the vaccine. However, this amount may be out of reach for most women. For women who are relatively poor, Makumi would want the Government to incorporate a programme that will ensure many women are screened at once at a low cost, instead of having one woman paying KSh5,000 for a single vaccine.

Magnitude Cervical cancer is the second most form of the disease among women after breast cancer in Kenya. It accounts for 20 per cent of the common deaths among women. Statistics show that about 2,454 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, in which 1,676 die annually. According to the Director of Public Health and Sanitation Dr Shahnaz Shariff women must go for screening. “Early screening is the surest way of treating the disease in its infancy,” said Shariff adding that women should take advantage of screening centres in public hospitals. Noting that screening for cervical cancer has been available in the country, Shariff reiterated that no woman should die of the disease in recent times. “Screening for cancer is the simplest test ever and takes a short time. When women are seeking family planning services, they should also insist on testing for cervical cancer,” he observed. Shariff lauded the Government for availing screening centres at public hospitals in the

State-of-the-art machine for cancer screening but many more similar equipment is needed especially in Kenya’s public hospital. Picture: Courtesy, Aga Khan Hospital

country, including district health centres adding that plans to procure screening machines are underway. At least 50 district hospitals across the country will receive machines. “It only takes a willing woman to go for early screening,” noted Dr Zipporah Ali of the Kenya Hospices Palliative Care Association. Sadly, the cervical cancer has not received the attention it deserves, leaving many women to scramble for treatment when the disease is quite advanced. Ali regrets the tendency that Kenyans have adopted of seeking medical intervention when the situation is dire. She noted that even those with access to medical insurance have been slow, when it

cancer could be completely wiped out.” He notes that it is also cost effective to manage cancer during its early stages because as it progresses in the body the more sessions of treatments one will require “and this of course comes with a heavy price tag”. He advised parents about having their daughters screened as early as they enter into puberty as this is the time most girls engage in maiden sexual encounters. Schools should also incorporate the need for screening in their curricular, as this will benefit many young people. Pap smear is the most common test for cervical cancer and it involves the removal of a sample of cells from the cervix which are then

“If a woman is exposed to the HPV virus as early as 14 years and gets tested for cancer, chances of reducing the disease to full-blown cancer are quite high. This also means that by the time she is 20 years, the cancer could be completely wiped out.” — Dr David Makumi

comes to cervical cancer screening. “This is a matter of life and death and the very thin line between the two is early detection. If Kenyans continue to ignore precautionary measures to mitigate the different forms of cancers, we will continue losing our most productive people,” observed Ali.

Progression According to Makumi who is also the Vice-President of the Kenya Cancer Association (KECASA), progression from early stages to full blown cervical cancer is slow and this makes treating it possible if it is detected early. “Luckily, cervical cancer can take up to 10 years to manifest and this also means that it can be detected early. If a woman is exposed to the HPV virus as early as 14 years and gets tested for cancer, chances of reducing the disease to full-blown cancer are quite high. This also means that by the time she is 20 years, the

examined under a microscope to determine if there are any unusual changes such as the development of a tumour. Most health centres including those that offer family planning have pap smear screening gadgets and it is up to health practitioners to advice their patients to screen for the disease. Though cervical cancer symptoms are rare, Makumi advices women to seek medical attention immediately they discover unusual changes such as heavy menstrual bleeding, unusually heavy discharge, pain during urination and severe pelvic pains. “Most cancers do not start with pain, so it is unlikely that a woman would just walk in a hospital to be tested of cancer.” He urged women to go for regular screening as this would reduce their chances of contracting the disease. Women should rethink their stand on risky

sexual behaviour as this could increase their chances of contracting the HPV virus, known to cause at least 95 per cent of cervical cancer. “Genital HPV is spread through direct skinto-skin contact with someone who has an HPV infection, meaning it is highly transmissible. If one has to over indulge, I urge the use of condoms,” advised Makumi. According to a medical online report from Cleveland clinic in the USA, using condoms every time you have sex can help reduce the risk of HPV.

Sensitisation “Be aware, however, that condoms do not cover all of the genital skin, so they are not 100 per cent effective in protecting against the spread of HPV. A person with genital warts should not have sex until the warts are removed. This might help reduce the risk of spreading HPV,” reads the report in part. Medics further advice women to have regular pelvic exams and Pap smear tests to look for abnormal changes in the cervix that might be pre-cancer. The report advices: “Men and women should stop having sexual contact as soon as they know or think they have genital warts (hard, rough lumps that develop on the skin) and they should seek treatment immediately.” Medical practitioners have established a link between HIV and HPV, as both viruses are mainly transmitted trough sexual intercourse. Against this backdrop, the Government is moving towards incorporating screening for cervical cancer into HIV care programmes. Under the country’s national guidelines for HIV care, health practitioners are urged to sensitize HIV positive women to screen for cervical cancer.

Information “However, we still have gaps in as far as information is concerned,” notes Collins Wambasa, a clinical officer at the Nyanza Provincial General Hospital. He decries the negative perception associated with screening of cervical cancer in the area. “Majority of HIV-negative women believe cervical cancer only affects those who are HIV-positive so their chances of getting tested is minimal as they believe they are not at risk. On the other hand, HIV positive women decline screening for cancer for fear of testing positive for the disease.” This, he says, poses a challenge for health practitioners in the area who have the uphill task of convincing women to test for cervical cancer.

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Exposing the plight and needs of girl-child …By Joyce Chimbi

he road towards gender equality has been long and winding in spite of numerous international and local conferences to chat a way forward towards equality of dignity and opportunity for all. However, gender equality is really not just about women, it is also about millions of girls who grow up to become women. Girls who are raised under imbalanced gender relations that extensively favour the boy child, and who know nothing better. It is, therefore, against this background that Plan International has made a bold step towards involving boys and men in the empowerment of girls and women since gender is a male issue too. An annual report that has been published by Plan International assesses the current state of the world’s girls dubbed ‘Because I am a Girl’, notes that there is extensive evidence that there is need to improve the plight of girls across the world. This will not be done without the express involvement of the male gender. Other than providing evidence as to why girls need to be treated differently from boys and from older women, the report also makes recommendations to policymakers among other stakeholders regarding what they can do to make real difference to the lives of girls’ all over the world. This is a significant report seeing that even

in Kenya, girls, particularly those in poor and or marginalized communities have had a difficult time accessing education. For those who are lucky to enrol in school, a great percentage of them have been unable to remain in school for various reasons. Reports by various international human rights body such as UNICEF and UN Women

others who will not attend school at least one week in per month due to lack of sanitary pads. To avoid embarrassment in incidences where their dresses are soiled, they prefer to stay at home. The 2011-2012 national budget made a significant step towards changing this situation. It is a first of its kind in the history of the country.

Petition to have a girls’ day launched …By Joyce Joan Wangui

lan International is launching an international petition calling on the UN to designate September 22as the International Day of the Girl. The organisation is on a rigorous exercise to gather numerous signatures that will ensure that the girls’ day is recognised globally.

have shown that girls and women account for the greatest percentage of the world’s working hours that sustains life such as fetching wood fuel, cooking, rearing and care giving. Many girls in rural areas spend most of their waking hours assisting older women in these chores living them little room to spend studying in an effort to better themselves. And if this is not enough. There are many

“We have an international day of women which has yielded commendable results and the time is now to come up with a special day for the girl-child,” said Edith Wanjohi of Plan International. The theme of the petition is “I pledge to do what I can where I can where I can to fight for equality and create a fair world where boys and girls can live without fear and fulfil their dreams.’

Under the budgetary allocation for Free Primary Education, KSh300 million will go into ensuring that school-going girls have free sanitary pads. This move is in line with the Millennium Development Goals, particularly two and three. The MDG 2 rallies for universal free primary education. Within this goal are two targets, one is to narrow down the ratio of boys to girls

in school, and the second one is to ensure that these children remain in school. Regarding MDG three on Gender equality and women’s empowerment, it is through reports that expose the plight and needs of world’s girl child that strategic positions can be taken to improve their general well being.

Engaging boys in gender equality initiative …By Joyce Wangui

here is an urgent need to revisit men’s roles and identities in order to significantly increase their involvement in working towards a gender equal societies. For the girls position in the world to be improved, there is need for more positive participation from the boys and men in their lives. This realisation came to the fore at the launch of ‘Because I Am A Girl: The State of the World’s Girls 2011’ recently released report by Plan International. It may seem strange to have a report on girls that focuses on boys but studies have continued to show that unless young men and boys work alongside girls and young women to challenge unequal power relationships, equal rights for women and men will remain a distant dream. The annual report produced by international children’s rights organisation, Plan International, seeks to address the need to involve the male gender in making a real difference to girls all over the world. The report calls for recommendations for action, showing policy makers and planners the need to increase men’s involvement in promoting gender equality.

Discrimination According to Sammy Musyoki of Plan International, Kenya girls are particularly ignored in many fronts. Noting that boys and girls need each other in order to make a difference, Musyoki reiterated that girls suffer double discrimination because of being young and being female. “Girls are the ones who get pulled out of schools, they are the same ones who are married off at an early age and theirs is a sorry state,” noted Musyoki. Citing Samburu where the recent drought has taken its toll on residents, he noted that girls continue to bear the brunt as they are forced into early marriages and prostitution to make ends meet for families. “In the face of drought, it is the girls who walk many kilometres in search of water, oblivious of the risks,” he observed. A recent survey by Plan International shows that at 39 percent, sub-Saharan Africa has the second highest rate of early and forced marriages. Musyoki notes that engaging boys and men in working towards girls’ rights has huge potential benefits for everyone. “Together with their sisters, they can help ensure that girls got to school, that they are safe from violence, that they are not married young

Boys and girls in a playground oblivious of the struggle for gender equality. Picture: KenyanWoman Correspondent

and against their will, that they do not bear the whole burden of work in the household and that they can earn a living and play their part in society.” In cases of wife battering, Musyoki agrees that boys and men know it is wrong to beat a woman but “they justify the act on the grounds of disciplining a woman and as a show of masculinity. “Forty three percent of men agree with the statement that a wife needs to be beaten,” he says adding that it is a sad state of affairs as it breeds a vicious cycle, thus putting women at risk of domestic violence. Boys and men, he says, should be involved in understanding women because at the end of the day, they all need each other. According to Gezahegn Kabede, Regional Director Plan International Eastern and Southern Africa region, the pace at which change and reform is incorporated in gender equity and empowerment issues are very slow. “Several researches have showed that in no society or country do women enjoy the same opportunities as men,” notes Kabede. He adds that the only way to transform gender relations and to tackle the unequal power structures that lie at the root of discrimination is for men and boys to be convinced of the basic unfairness of the lingering inequality between sexes, to be horrified by gender-based violence, to challenge the stereotypical constructs of male and female that exist and to be energetically committed to change. Edith Wanjohi noted that without equity development can neither be balanced nor sustainable.

Wanjohi reminded participants that girls and women are ‘merely’ not competing with men but “we simply urge you to walk with us because we need a balanced development. During the event, short video clips detailing the ordinary lives of young girls and boys were shown. In most clips, girls call for boys and men to understand and support them. They also mention the challenges they go through when trying to ‘belong’ to societies where boys call the shots. In another video clip, a young man from Sierra Leone admits how he was in the habit of bullying girls, including his own sisters until it dawned on him that they too were equal human beings.

Stereotypes Some societal pressure upholds stereotypical notions that when men get involved in women’s affairs, it is tantamount to losing their masculinity. “For example, in most cultures men are not expected to play a significant role in caring for children. A man cannot be seen changing diapers or washing his baby because society doesn’t expect him to do that,” notes Kadebe. He challenged men to stop thinking that their masculinity is on the line, when they are seen to promote gender equality. “It means that men as a group will be able to share and be part of a broader, healthier, safer and richer cultural experience. When men take active role in promoting gender equality the entire society benefits,” reiterated Kabede. In another Rwandan village, Gihogwe, 15 and 16 year-old girls were of the view that boys

‘are cleverer than girls because the latter are naïve. Such stereotypical notions continue to make girls and women lag behind. Sadly, the report further shows how discrimination between girls and boys begin in the home and how this impacts on children in their families. In some cultures, boys are given preference than girls. So what about the boys? It is widely recognised that empowering girls is a key to unlock families from poverty and deprivation. According to the report, many boys are affected by poverty, lack of opportunity and violence. However, girls face double discrimination by being young and female. Everyone, including boys benefit from a more just, equal world but it cannot be attained by girls alone, we must all play an active part. Desmond Lesejane from South Africa noted that men are always shy to come out and say they support women empowerment. “They also know that mistreating women is improper, but they don’t come out in the open to condemn it.” Quoting Gary Baker, that ‘True and lasting changes in gender norms will be achieved only when it is widely recognised that gender is relational, that it is short-sighted to seek to empower women without engaging men, and that it is difficult if not impossible to change what manhood means without engaging ...women.” Lesejane, who is the Deputy Regional Director, Sonke Gender Justice Network for gender mainstreaming in South Africa noted that critical issues such as HIV are feminised because women and girls are more vulnerable than men. “This gender is more at risk of HIV particularly during vulnerable situations such as war where rape occurs. At the same time, they carry much of the burden of care givers as regards HIV,” said Lesejane. He said the question of what about boys should not be seen as a means to shift focus from girls but as a means of engagement. “We need to have boys and men involved at all spheres.” Sonke Gender Justice Network focuses on working with men and boys to accelerate gender transformation and enhance the response to HIV and Aids. He noted that some gender roles and social constructions of masculinity also damage men’s and boys’ lives across a broad range of indicators. It also burdens them with expectations beyond their means. Of importance is the fact that gender concerns become more than just a ‘women’s issue’.

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Coffee opens opportunities for self independence …By Ben Oroko

omen who are smallholder coffee growers have been rescued from the outdated culture of depending on cash handouts. The women had been enslaved for many years since the collapse of the coffee sub-sector in the area. The women experienced improved coffee earnings at Nyamonya Farmers Co-operative Society, Bassi Chache Location, Bobasi Constituency, Kisii County, The change follows an overhaul of the co-operative society’s management committee ushering in a new dawn in the management of coffee sales and improved earnings. This move attracted majority of the women from the area to venture into coffee activities as agri-business ventures, assisting them roll back rural poverty and take their levels of livelihood to another levels.

Evidence A spot check by KenyanWoman in the area revealed a sad past where majority of the local women spent their time chasing politicians for free cash handouts due to poverty precipitated by mismanagement of the coffee sub-sector by former management committee officials. The team overstayed in the society’s top leadership organ leading to the collapse of the coffee sub-sector which formerly served as the local communities’ reliable economic mainstay. According to Annah Mong’ina,

a small-holder coffee grower contracted to Nyamonya Main Farmers Co-operative Society, the collapse of the coffee sub-sector in the area contributed to increased poverty and a culture of dependence on free cash handouts among the local people. Women were most affected as they provided much of their farm labour in the industry to earn a living either as casual labourers or as farmers delivering coffee beans to the Co-operative Society.

Change “Since the collapse of the coffee industry in the area seven years ago, it has been an economic nightmare for women headed households as they have not had a reliable economic activity to earn them income as was the case in the late 1980s and early 1990s when there was a coffee boom in the country,” observed Mong’ina . Things have changed today and Mong’ina lauds the current Sacco’s management who she describes as God-send since they have managed to turn around the coffee sub-sector in the area. “They have changed the local people’s dependence on what she describes as ‘mheshimiwa’s KSh50’ for anybody bothering him in the countryside or along the roadsides in the area,” she says. Mong’ina remembers days when women with babies strapped on their backs would be seen running to a local prominent politician’s home to pick KSh50 for a tin of maize during drought. This has drastically changed

Annah Mong’ina one of the many women earning a living growing coffee. Picture: Ben Oroko with the improvement of the local coffee industry which has seen women and men spend their time tending to their coffee crops. “Improved management practices at the co-operative society level has not only encouraged local women to venture into coffee farming, but has also encouraged them to work in their coffee farms to earn money out of their sweat, instead of chasing politicians for handouts,” observes Mong’ina. Jane Chanai, also a coffee farmer contracted to Nyamonya Farmers Co-operative Society expresses confidence in the current management officials for reviving the coffee industry in the area. She says the cost of living had gone up and the issue

of residents depending on an individual to give them handouts cannot work as it is costly in many aspects of life. “Improvement in coffee earnings in the local co-operative society has worked to the advantage of the local women who currently earn more than KSh50 per kilogramme of their coffee sales,” says Chanai. She adds: “This has freed women from the yoke of poverty and dependence on free cash handouts.” She observes: “Revival of the coffee sub-sector and improvement in coffee earnings in the local co-operative society has reduced poverty at household levels with the culture of dependence on cash handouts among local residents, especially women be-

coming a thing of the past.” Chanai says she gained nothing from the handouts which denied her opportunities to engage in socio-economic activities to empower herself economically. Following the revival of the local coffee industry, Chanai is a happy that she is earning good income from coffee as she is now able to finance for her family’s basic needs including paying school fees for her children in private schools. Nyamonya Farmers Co-operative Society Chairman, Julius Maganga concurs that seven years ago the local residents were economic slaves of cash handouts, a move that led to increased poverty and high levels of dependence on politicians.

Mismanagement Maganga attributes the disturbing scenario to poor leadership and mismanagement of the coffee subsector which he describes as local community’s ‘Black gold’ in reference to the coffee boom that farmers enjoyed in the 1970s and 1980s. This was the time when local coffee fetched good prices in the world market. “As leaders we fail and mislead our people by giving them cash handouts that do not end their socio-economic challenges,” observes Maganga. He adds: “Instead we should use our leadership positions to provide our communities with conducive investment opportunities to change their standards of living through hard work.”

Enkorika women want freedom from chains of poverty

…By Carolyne Oyugi

t is noon and as usual Sopyato Kilelu is seated in front of her manyatta doing what she does best; decorating the traditional Maasai attire. She has been working on this particular cloth for the past three weeks. It takes her around a month to complete one, considering she has other chores. She is hoping it will sell immediately she is through with it.

Livelihood “This is my only source of income and if I don’t get a buyer then my children may go hungry,” she says while counting some colourful beads and joining them with a thread and needle. From the look of things, this is not an easy work. It needs patience, concentration and sitting for long hours. Sopyatos story is repeated all over Maasai land. Women in this community do most if not all the household chores and still play the role of a bread winner. However, to better their lives a group of women in Enkorika of Kajiado County have come together to form Namaiyana Women Group. According to the group leader Anne Terta, women in this community have so many social-economic problems. “These women are very hardworking and trying to support their families financially but unfortunately their husbands are not giving them the necessary support, explains Terta. Mutian Tyapukel narrates how their men are an obstacle to their attempts to become financially stable. “Whenever we ask our husbands for capital, they refuse to give us. We are, therefore, forced to go back to our brothers to ask for the same although they are also not happy when we get it,”

says Tyapukel. She adds: “In fact, some of them do not believe that we got the money from our brothers. They think that we possibly got sexually involved with men in order to get the money which at times leads to fights.” And that is not all. When they succeed in business and invest their profit in livestock, the husband will sell the animal owned by the wife first whenever he has financial needs even if he has other animals. Noonkuta Kintamules is not happy with the men’s habit of leaving women to do all the chores. Women in the community, she says, have to build houses, graze the livestock, milk the animals, cook and literally do all the household chores besides bearing and taking care of the children. At the time of our visit Noonkuta had just taken a break from building her house in order to breast feed her baby.

Responsibility Most men in this village are not involved in any economic activity. A typical day for a man in Enkorika village is waking up, taking breakfast and joining other men at the shopping centre for a whole day’s chat. They then come back to the house in the evening expecting to find food and some milk to drink. Some lucky women at times get a packet of maize flour from their husbands but in most cases men will just walk home empty handed. According to the men, that is all they need to do because they have already bought them land and livestock to live on and to graze. The women, however, do not own the land and the livestock. They are not involved in any decision making concerning them. Titeiyo Kintamules, a co-wife to Noonkuta Kintamules who was also

Some of the Maasai women at the forefront in the fight against poverty. Picture: Carolyne Oyugi building her house during our visit was surprised to hear that in some communities it is the men who build the houses and women are only involved in the final touches that involve smearing cow dung and mud. “I wish that was the case here so I would have more time to work on more clothes for sale,” she says. This village has many problems including only one health centre that serves the expansive area. Enkorika Health Centre lacks enough facilities and personnel to handle the number of patients who flock there. Nurses do not serve patients early in the morning and on weekends. The roads are also in bad condition due to soil erosion and public transport to the village from Kajiado town is a nightmare. There is only a single matatu operating the 150 kilometre route. Villagers who travel in the morning to the town to trade or buy food have to wait for the matatu which re-

turns to the village in the evening. This has resulted in most women delivering babies at home, an option that has led to increased infant mortality rate. According to health statistics, the infant mortality rate in this area is 47.9 per 1,000 live births. While less than five mortality rates is 13 percent. This means that for every 100 live births 13 children do not live to see their fifth birthday.

Infrastructure The area also has one primary and one secondary school. Pupils and students have to trek for many kilometres to reach the institutions. This has resulted in late enrolment and absenteeism in the schools. According to Shomet Esther, a resident in the village, their children join primary and nursery schools as late as at eight years. She says that this has negatively affected the children’s performance. There is also a high drop-out rate

among girls whom by the time they reach upper classes in primary school are past puberty stage and feel ‘too old’ to continue learning. According to Shomet most of them get married immediately after dropping out of school. The girls feel that they are older than their classmates and therefore decide to drop out. The community also relies on one borehole after another that was constructed by a local church stalled following the breakdown of a windmill that used to pump water. Schools and churches, however, have some private water points. The women would like the Government to construct more boreholes to stop them from having to walk long distances and even when they get to it they still have to spend a long time because the queue is long. Namaiyana means ‘blessed’ in the Maasai language, and members of this group want more support from their men.

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Tribute to Margaret Ogola, a great woman, a great writer …By Joseph Adero Ngala

he death of Dr Margaret Ogola marks a loss for the literary world and medical fraternity, and especially women. Ogola lived a full life as a nationalist, writer, mother, wife and friend. In her death, she is moaned by many. As a journalist, I have met many impressive people in the country. Somewhere near the top of the list is Ogola. I first met her when she headed the Commission for Health and Family Life for the Kenyan Episcopal Conference.

History Ogola was a paediatrician, a mother of four and the medical director of the Cottolengo Hospice for HIV-positive orphans in Nairobi, a centre similar to Nyumbani Children’s Home. In her spare time, Ogola would write. She wrote prize-winning novels. Her first novel, The River and the Source, it would win the 1995 Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature and the 1995 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book. I sat down with Ogola to discuss the HIV/ Aids crisis. Kenya has at least 200,000 Aids patients who should be on anti-retroviral treatment, but only 20,000 actually get the drugs. Ogola knew the importance of ARV therapy. At Cottolengo, she saw it make a difference between life and death. However, she always made the point: “It’s futile to think that ARVs will solve the problem of Aids.” One thing that she always reiterated is that people with empty stomachs cannot absorb the toxicity of medication and hence either vomit or do not take it. Furthermore, deciding who gets ARVs and monitoring their use requires complex laboratory set-ups that Kenya’s medical infrastructure were badly depleted in the 1980s by World Bank-mandated structural adjustment programmes, and can no longer manage. Ogola always reminded the world that “without serious efforts at poverty eradication” the Aids crisis would continue. Among other things, she said, poverty had broken down traditional African social structures that surrounded sexual promiscuity with taboos. Ogola said that the best bet for ARVs in the developing world was the Indian pill, which sells for about $7 and comes in single dosage. Yet funding provided by the United States Government comes with a stipulation that it be spent on the more expensive and more complex ARV treatment manufactured by American pharmaceuticals.

Frustration Since Ogola worked for the Catholic Church, I brought up the inevitable topic of condoms. She wearily expressed frustration that so much good work by the Catholic Church on Aids had been overshadowed by the condoms debate. As an example, she handed me a list of 93 Catholic charitable homes and communitybased programmes in the country. She said that when journalists called for comment on the condoms issue, she refused to answer, unwilling to fan the flames. Ogola acknowledged, however, that many African priests quietly counsel marriages in which one partner is infected and the other is not that the use of condoms in such circumstances can be tolerated. However, she did not believe condoms are the solution. “It’s the one gadget in medicine you have to use correctly each and every time,” Ogola reiterated. She noted that only “massive public education” followed by behaviour change held real promise in the fight against HIV/Aids. As a physician, one of her main worries

about the Aids crisis is the way it falls disproportionately upon women. As a result of social customs such as wife inheritance, in which a husband’s oldest brother inherits his widow, women are dependent upon men and, therefore, less able to protect themselves from infection. This is because women are considered men’s property. It is a rare to find an African woman who can say “no” when her husband demands sex, even if he’s infected. Moreover, when family members are infected, it is the woman who cares for them. Ogola rejected the image frequently floated that Africa has a hyper-sexual culture. She offered the example of a security guard in Nairobi who comes from the rural area. He may work in the city for a year in order to accumulate savings to take home, and could be faithful to his wife for almost all of that time, perhaps visiting a prostitute just once. During the one week his boss gives him to go home over Christmas, he might have relations with his wife just once. Two infections, the husband and wife, might well result from those two sexual acts. That, Ogola said, and not some mythical African promiscuity, is the normal way Aids spreads. Ogola acknowledged that some Africans,

The legendary river still flows even in Ogola’s death

…By Karani Kelvin

Ogola always reminded the world that “without serious efforts at poverty eradication” the Aids crisis would continue. Among other things, she said, poverty had broken down traditional African social structures that surrounded sexual promiscuity with taboos. ness to speak casually of their comrade and friend. They sounded as if they needed to step back to get a better perspective on a stature that they suddenly realised was greater than that whose shadow had fallen so gently. As an artist, Ogola was so sensitively attuned to the world and she wrote about issues that mattered. She plunged into responding to such issues as housing and welfare reform, ceaselessly re-inventing herself. She did this as Picasso did in his paintings by changing her viewpoint and style to match the challenges before her. Ogola became an advisor to several religious houses in Kenya and beyond. Archbishop Zaccheus Okoth of Kisumu Catholic Archdiocese recalls that Ogola had a sparkle and smile with each new idea and the passion to see them through from conception to reality. With her family, Ogola faced with faith, the advancing spectre of cancer and lived as fully as she could until the end.

and even a few politicians and bishops believe that the HIV virus was deliberately manufactured in the West as a sinister means of limiting population in the developing world. She found this hard to believe, since letting loose such a lethal virus would be an act of the highest madness. We groped for a term to describe it, eventually settling on “omnicide”. In any event, she said, the virus is here and no matter how it arrived, the point is what one does about it. We had tea together at her office several times. I felt that other than knowing her, I had in a real sense overheard her. Nonetheless, I experienced her integrity. One sensed her complete dedication to the truth and immersion in the mystery of Christian living that allowed her to take on life and death unblinkingly. Writer Thornton Wilder observes through a character in his play “Our Town”, that we have “to overhear” everything that is important about each other in life. It is no wonder that Ogola can be heard so clearly in the voices of those who remember her. I overheard similar reactions from her colleagues in the medical profession. In their attempts to find the right word, silence revealed itself as the true medium for the unforced responses of the heart. One could overhear their unwilling-

Fame We overhear all this in her name: Atieno, name for a girl born at night among the Luo, a stove, a hearth that gives light and warmth. It is not surprising that we overhear Ogola spoken of as being warm, giving light to those around her. Her work speaks for itself. As a medic, she crisscrossed the country. In the course of her work at the Kenya Episcopal Conference, she firmly crossed swords with many public figures on contentious issues, and heartily applauded others. She had strong opinions, but a moderate approach; She was a centrist who heard people out. That was the professional Ogola, but her attributes there were simply magnified on a personal level with colleagues and friends: a kind, unflappable, caring person; a decent woman, in every definition of the term one with a quietly wicked sense of humour. Most books on the gender debate revolve around the axle of imbalance in the way men and women relate to one another, in their division of labour, including sharing the products of that labour, such as property, and these books further declare that whereas women are part of division of labour, there’s discrimination in distributing the fruits. This is what Margaret Ogola tackles in her works, especially The River and the Source.

nyone who has read Dr Margaret Ogola’s The River and the Source remembers the towering great grandmother Akoko and her lineage of proud, determined and successful female descendants. In this novel, the late Ogola represents a worldview that is (was?) utterly opposed to the status quo. It is a view that seeks to show women as strong people who can achieve anything they set their minds on. The cultural setting of the text among the Luo is important because traditionally the community are patriarchal. By creating a world in which women are largely successful over men, the writer boldly undermines the societal beliefs that provide space for men to be successful. Against the societal background of women who belonged to the home and could only be seen as successful while there, Ogola’s female characters are represented as successful both at the home and beyond. She then paints a picture of men who amount to nothing whether at home or beyond. It is this sharp contrast that has been of much debate in literary circles. While most women rejoice (understandably so) at the gender representation in the text, some critics have pointed out this as the shortfall of the novel. They point out that Ogola tries to create a picture of a utopian world in which women are largely successful and powerful over men. With the many failures of patriarchy and the many injustices it has subjected women to, reading Ogola’s The River and the Source one gets a feeling that here is a writer who is turning patriarchy on its head. The question that arises is whether patriarchy has imposed a utopian structure on society that segregates against half of its population.

Demise And so when on September 22, 2011 news came that the curtains had come down cutting short Ogola’s meteorological rise, in both the arts and sciences fields where she was a paediatrician (again going against the grains, for most arts and sciences are like water and oil, they simply do not mix), most people who have read her novels were left in utter shock. The social networks were full of messages of condolence to her family, friends and fans. Many people remembered her as the author of their high school set book that made literature “bearable”. The River and the Source was a high school set book from 1999–2004. One can compare Ogola’s death to that of Akoko, the matriarch in The River and the Source. When the matriarch dies, even the readers feel bereaved for here is a character whose influence has tremendously shaped four generations. Although she has written other novels, I swear by Apollo and Place of Destiny, The River and the Source remains Ogola’s most famous novel. It is this novel that won her the Jomo Kenyatta Literature Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book in 1995. Her novel Place of Destiny won her the second Jomo Kenyatta Literature Award in 2007. Ogola will also be remembered for co-authoring A Gift of Grace, a biography of the first Kenyan Cardinal, Maurice Michael Otunga. She also authored Educating in Human Love, a handbook for parents to help them bring up their children. Until her death, Ogola was a paediatrician and Medical Director of the Cottolengo HIV and Aids orphans Hospice. She will be remembered for founding and managing the SoS HIV/Aids Clinic for People Living with Aids. She received the Familias Award for Humanitarian Service of the World Congress of Families in Geneva, Switzerland in 1999. Ogola is survived by her husband and six children. May the great writer who inspired so many people and made them love reading rest in eternal peace. The source may have gone underground but the river will flow perpetually.

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Transport and mobility of women remains gender insensitive …By Rosemary Okello

or Jane Akinyi, 45, from Homa Bay County, the frequent trips are part of her life. Ever since she got married, she knows her duty rota too well. Early in the morning, she wakes up to go to the river to bring her husband water to bathe. Then she has to make his breakfast before he cycles to the nearby market for the day. Come evening, Akinyi will have already made numerous trips around the home trying to tend to the homestead and at the same time ensuring there is food on the table for supper. Akinyi’s is a typical example of what a rural woman goes through. The International Rural Women’s Day was marked on October 15. The day brought to the fore the trail and tribulations that rural women face as they manage their days. The sight of women walking with bulky loads of goods on their head and children on their back is far too common. While also the sight of men riding bicycles to market places carrying passengers is a regular feature. A look at the rural scene in terms of transport and mobility reflects major differences in basic mobility needs for women and men. These are grounded in the gender-based division of labour within the family and community. Women’s role in rural settings always makes them take shorter, more frequent and dispersed trips during to look for food, firewood and water. In a research entitled: Bread Winners, Homemakers and Beasts of Burden: A Gender Perspective on Transport and Mobility; Deike Peters from the Institute for City and regional Planning (ISR), Berlin, Germany, argues that existing transport systems are not adequately geared towards the needs of women. Rather, most systems are biased towards the travel needs of male breadwinners. Many women do not have equal access to private motor vehicles. Access to motorised transport, a mode that is costly from an overall social and environmental perspective, yet convenient to the ones who can afford it, is determined not only by economic means but also by cultural roles. Like Akinyi and other women in the rural areas, the most predominant mode of travel is walking. Peters’ research reveals that rural women in Mozambique and Tanzania spend up to four hours every day on local transport. Evidence from Tanzania demonstrates that women’s unpaid head loading and portage of wood for fuel, water and farm and household produced accounted for more than 70 per cent of total transport time and tonne-kilometres carried. Peters argues that the urban situation is not any better. Transport modes are often not available to women, either because they are too expensive or located too inconveniently and far away. He says while walking has the advantage of being free from fares or capital investment, it is quite costly in terms of both time consumed and the effects it has on women’s health. Women’s head loading in particular leads to increased incidences to back injuries, spine curvatures, sprained ankles, headaches and even interference with pregnancies. Various studies from sub-Saharan Africa

show that women carry about three to five times as much weight as men every year, usually taking full responsibility for domestic travel and transport, mostly notably for water and wood collection. In Nyeri, the usage of leather, sisal or synthetic belt that women use to bind a bundle of firewood or other loads which they carry on their back, strapped to their forehead has been found to be the cause of disabilities and miscarriages. Although in Agikuyu culture of ‘mukwa’ where women carry huge loads using straps on their head has been used for centuries, it has become a daily necessity that women from this area cannot afford to live without. It is the surest way of transporting goods to the nearby market or for carrying firewood and water. The Path International work in culture and health through their guarantee in Nyeri is trying to change attitudes on ‘gender and ‘mukwa’ because according to the women in the area ‘mukwa is made by men to be used by women. They say it is taboo for men to carry loads using ‘mukwa’ strapped to their forehead. A look at the contemporary transport, women are mostly passengers and not drivers. When the then, Kenya Bus Drivers decided to engender their staff by hiring women as drivers, for a while many men could not understand the logic behind it. Some were heard saying: “I do not want to die young” and would come out of the bus whenever they found that a driver had a woman driver. However, things have since changed. Many long distance buses in Kenya have now engaged a number of women as drivers. In the same research, Peters cites that women’s access to public service vehicles are often constrained by socio-cultural conventions and physical barriers. This is particular-

Women’s access to public service vehicles are often constrained by socio-cultural conventions and physical barriers. This is particularly true for bicycles, which is a common mode of transport in the rural areas as an alternative to vehicles. There are other cultures that do not restrict women from riding bicycles for their daily chores. However, they are not allowed to carry passengers. The famous ‘boda boda’ transport system in Western Kenya isdominated by men.

A woman carries the heavy load and balances water, firewood, food and her child. She has to bear this burden as she walks home since public service transport is a luxury she cannot afford. Picture: Kenyan Woman Correspondent ly true for bicycles, which is a common mode of transport in the rural areas as an alternative to vehicles. There are other cultures that do not restrict women from riding bicycles for their daily chores. However, they are not allowed to carry passengers. The famous ‘boda boda’ transport system in Western Kenya is dominated by men. In some places the situation remains the same or even worse. In Karamoja region of Eastern Uganda, women cannot sit in the front of a matatu. If they do, they have to carry stones given to them by driver or else they have to wait for the next matatu in an area where public service vehicles are very scarce. In Iran, writes Peters: “Women were banned from riding bicycles in public places because they must avoid anything that could attract strangers. In Mozambique, women who ride bicycles are considered too independent

and loose. It is said that it is not ladylike for women to spread their legs and that the man of the house deserves to ride a bicycle more than the woman.” The liberalisation of transport system in Kenya has also affected the accessibility of transport by women. This is because the offpeak and peripheral routes that women operate are never considered. In other parts of the country, the people will only see a matatu during the market days. In order to alleviate women’s disproportionate transport burden in society, a variety of factors need to be addressed. It is a high time that policy makers should start planning the public transport from a gender perspective. The most important among them are access to modes of transport, the sitting and routing of facilities and infrastructure and the timing, frequency of service.

Executive Director: Rosemary Okello Editorial Director: Arthur Okwemba Managing Editor: Jane Godia

The Kenyan Woman is a publication of African Woman and Child Feature Service E-mail: info@awcfs.org www.awcfs.org

Sub-Editors:

Duncan Mboyah, Joyce Chimbi, Omwa Ombara

Contributors:

John Syengo, Joseph Mukubwa, Yusuf Amin, Benson Mwanga, Saaleha Bamjee, Faith Muiruri, Barwaqo Aress, Karani Kelvin, Emeldah Rutendo, Grace Igandu, Joyce Wangui, Henry Owino, Ben Oroko, Carolyne Oyugi, Joseph Adero Ngala.

Design & layout: Noel Lumbama (Noel Creative Media Ltd)

This paper is produced with support from HIVOS