Kenya Woman Issue 29

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Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Issue Number 29 • August 2012

The money factor

Financial constraint a major challenge to women aspirants A …By Henry Owino

s the elections draw nearer, women are getting worried. The ugly face of resources is rearing its head and the women are afraid that this may be their doing.

For this reason, women political aspirants are looking into contesting for less lucrative positions, read powerful due to lack of money that is needed during the campaigns.

The promulgation of a new Kenyan Constitution in August 2010, heralded a new dawn for the women of Kenya with the provision that not more than two-thirds of elective or appointive positions should be of the same gender in addition to setting aside special seats for women.

This has been seen to have paved way for gender equity within leadership though a mechanism to actualise the two-thirds provision in the Senate and National Assembly is yet to be found.

Today many women have declared their interest in vying for the ward and women representative seats as opposed to declaring interest in being Governors, Senators or even President.

For example, for one to be President they must have the finances that will enable them mobilise and move in every corner of this country. Looking at the size of Kenya, this is not a small feat and the finances needed to accomplish this are not that small either.

As much as women would like to vie for bigger seats in political arena, money becomes a major setback since the higher the political office, the vast the area hence requires lots of funds.

Money is necessary in facilitating movements and for procuring campaign materials such as T-shirts, caps, lessos/kanga and posters among other communications materials.

According to Grace Akumu who is aspiring for Nyakach Constituency seat many wom-

en lose out because they do not have money compared to their male counterparts.

She regrets that many women would like to vie for executive positions but they do not have as much money as their male counterparts who have been in Parliament for long and also have a lot of money.

“Many women would like to go for these bigger seats but we don’t have much money as men to facilitate our movements during campaigns. Fuelling cars is expensive, branding T-shirts, banners and posters all require money without which one cannot sell her policies to the electorate,” she noted.

Akumu wants to represent the needs of the people in the parliament as MP come next elections.

She made the remarks during the monthly women Agenda Forum held at a hotel in Nairobi where she urged women who are financially able to support their fellow women who are aspiring to elective positions.

She challenged the Gender Forum organisers to think beyond seminars and workshops by starting to fund or sponsoring women political aspirants since time is not on their side.

She said as much as seminars are of essence Politician Grace Akumu addressing a women agenda forum in for aspirants to familiarise Nairobi.

Women leaders now blame lack of financial backing for themselves with electoral their failure to capture political seats. Picture: Henry Owino processes, Constitution and other legal laws, it is echoed by Prof Maria Nzomo shown interests for various imperative to talk to donors and other big companies to who urged women aspirants to seats to march on and not to be sponsor women in their bid for take advantage of the current intimidated by the male counConstitution and vie for various terparts who are often their oppolitical office.

“I know seminars are im- seats that have been created in ponents.

“I would like to ask you portant for us as aspirants but the political arena.

Nzomo said most women women to stand firm and be we have had enough. There is a need to focus on how women are just eying for women coun- brave enough to face the varican be funded since we don’t ty representatives seats which ous positions of your interests have money to facilitate and sell were created for women alone. seriously because donors will our agenda and policies to the She challenged women to com- put their money on candidates whom they know are likely to people,” observed Akumu. She pete for other seats with men.

Nzomo challenged the win without being pushed. So posed: “Can the Agenda Forum organisers talk to sponsors to women to be aggressive as be sober and go for it and ask fund us even if it means fuelling nothing comes easy and more for support where necessary,” our vehicles at a particular pet- so in politics hence they should reiterated Nzomo. be ready for a real battle. She rol station?”

Continued on page 4 Her sentiments were encouraged those who have

EDITORIAL

Anti-climax as women get into more positions of decision making

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his year will go down in history as the year of the African woman for several special reasons.

It began with the swearing-in of the second woman President on the continent, Joyce Banda, who took over the reins of power from the late Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi, who died in office.

President Banda was a champion of women’s rights before plunging into politics and being appointed the first women Vice President of the landlocked Southern African country.

She joined Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia who trounced several male rivals in the presidential elections in 2005 to occupy the most powerful office on the land after her second stub at the coveted seat.

President Sirleaf is serving her second term after emerging victor in the polls last year. In that same year, she was also awarded the coveted Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakel Karman of Yemen “for their non-violent struggle for women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building”.

The climax of it all was when the continent elected its first woman to be the Secretary General of the African Union Commission (AU), 50 years after its inception.

South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, was announced the winner at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, last month, after a stiff competition between her and Jean Ping from Gabon, who was the incumbent.

Her former husband, South African President Jacob Zuma, was among her supporters who emerged from the conference hall where the voting had taken place to announce that: “Africa is happy! Her victory will empower women.”

It is in that spirit of success that Kenyan women athletes are looking up to the London Olympics to scoop as many gold medals as possible led by the 800 metres champion, Pamela Jelimo, who seeks to join the who-is who in the world of sports like Kenyan’s Kipchoge Keino and David Rudisha among others.

The spirit of the Olympics games, taking place in London, is sweeping each and every corner of the world including the dusty villages in the remotest corners of our country as citizens look up to Jelimo and

the tough Kenyan squad to make us proud once again, as they have always done since independence when Kipchoge Keino won the first gold medal.

The fever is everywhere with Kenyans glued to the television screens at home and social places to enjoy the varied sporting events and to cheer their compatriots along regardless of gender, ethnicity and/or religion.

Indeed, the timing of the games could not be more opportune as Kenyans gear up for the forthcoming General Elections, the first since the new Constitution was passed by Kenyans during the 2010 referendum. With these elections, Kenyans are looking forward to having more women in Parliament through affirmative action as entrenched in the Constitution.

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Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Migrant communities face challenges in accessing HIV prevention interventions

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…By Faith Muiruri

he HIV prevalence rate among migrant female sex workers in the country remains high despite the drastic drop registered at the national level.

The prevalence rate stands at 23.1 per cent which is three times more than the national predominance rate that has been listed at 6.4 per cent with 1.3 million people between the ages of 15 to 64 across the country living with HIV. A joint study by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the National Aids and STI Control Programme (NASCOP), National Aids Control Council (NACC), the Joint UN Team on Aids (JUNTA) and the Kenya Aids Control Project (KACP) paints a grim picture of the migrant sex workers who have utterly been denied access to basic health and social services.

Study The study reveals that currently there are no programmes offering a targeted and comprehensive response to this population. In fact migrant female sex workers and their clients have not been effectively reached with HIV prevention interventions.

Although the country’s response programme has been directed towards key population groups, migrants who have been ranked among the high risk populations have not been targeted as a distinct category.

This is despite the fact that 14.1 per cent of all the new infections in Kenya occur among female sex workers and their clients as outlined by the Kenya Modes of Transmission Study.

Migration According to Kelsi Kriitmaa who is a lead researcher in the Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey (IBBS), the plight of migrant sex workers has been aggravated by their irregular migration status, lower literacy levels, lack of fluency in the local language and cultural barriers.

“Our findings indicate that migrant female sex workers in Kenya portray low levels of HIV competence, are marginalised in terms of access to services, have a early sexual debut and lack social support,” noted Kriitmaa during the launch of the report in Nairobi.

Kriitmaa who is also an official from IOM says that the IBBS survey which is the first ever to target migrant female sex workers covered Nairobi’s Eastleigh and Hurlingham areas and sought to establish the HIV and STI prevalence among migrant female sex workers in Nairobi, determine their

Female sex workers strategising at a meeting. Picture: Faith Muiruri knowledge, attitudes, risk behaviour, treatment seeking behaviour and preferred sources of HIV/STI information.

“The findings would then help develop interventions targeting the large population of Somali, Sudanese, Ethiopian and other migrant women engaging in transactional sex in Nairobi,” Kriitmaa explains.

About 628 migrant sex workers participated in the survey that begun in June 2010. Ethiopia accounted for the highest number of respondents at 31.2 per cent, Tanzania and Uganda came second at 27.6 per cent while Somali’s represented 11 per cent of the respondents. Other countries included in the study were Democratic Republic of Congo (1.3per cent), Sudan (1 per cent) and Rwanda (0.2 per cent).

The report points out that over half (52.2 per cent) of migrant female sex workers were aged between 20 and 29 years old, with the average age of the respondents being 31.8 years.

Almost half of the migrants have never attended school (47.4 per cent).

The majority were single (61.1 per cent) and of Muslim faith (58.5 per cent), and more than a third (42.7 per cent) of them had gone through female genital mutilation.

Majority cited the search for employment, escape from insecurity and war among reasons for leaving their countries. Other reasons included marriage, environmental disaster, school and kidnappings. Curiously 3.8 per cent of them had a Kenyan ID card while 30 per cent of the respondents had a United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) mandate.

Most migrants are supporting other people financially and are therefore forced to stay in sex work.

Refugee Almost three quarters of the respondents had been in Kenya for more than two years. About 42 per cent of Somali and 3.9 per cent of Ethiopian respondents had lived in refugee camps while Tanzanians and Ugandans had not.

During the study, Ugandans and

Tanzanians had the highest HIV prevalence with 30 per cent and 28.4 per cent respectively, followed by Somalis at 14.4 per cent and Ethiopians at 13.3 per cent.

Already IOM in liaison with the National Organisation for Peer Educators (NOPE) and Uma, which is a community based organisation operating in Eastleigh have initiated pilot activities on HIV prevention for migrant sex workers.

Job Akuno who is a technical advisor at NOPE says that about 1,995 female sex workers have been tested for HIV at the service centre in Eastleigh. Another 4,269 migrant sex workers have participated in health and peer education training sessions while 2,393 have been screened for sexually transmitted infections and 762 of them treated.

Akuno says that 135 migrant sex workers have been referred to hospitals for further treatment while 76,793 condoms have been distributed to them.

He says interventions that target the migrant sex workers must be put

in place to increase their knowledge and focus on consistent and correct condom use to help improve on their health seeking behaviour.

Support He adds that programmes targeting the group must incorporate nonmedical aspects such as psychosocial support, income generating and livelihood activities, language classes and legal support to ensure a comprehensive approach.

The newly developed NASCOP Sex Worker Guidelines provide guidance on the type of services that should be offered in any programmes targeting the sex workers.

The report recommends that stakeholders should lobby the Government to provide a legal framework for regulation of sex work which would allow programming for sex work activities to be taken to scale, thereby increasing access to services and providing protection for sex workers that currently does not exist.

Lobby appeals for help to end child prostitution …By Yusuf Amin Human rights officials in Kilifi County have called on the government to intervene and save young girls being lured into prostitution.

According to Eric Karisa Mgoja, a field officer with the Muslim for Human Rights in Kilifi County, the number of girls dropping out of school to become commercial sex workers is on the rise in the region.

He cited areas like Malindi and Mtwapa towns where many young girls engage in prostitution. He urged the police to take stern action against those involved in the vice.

Mgoja also asked the Ministry of Education and the Children’s Department to inter-

vene by visiting the towns to apprehend and prosecute men engaging in sex with under aged girls in accordance with the law.

“I am calling on the relevant ministries to come together and find a lasting solution to the vice by prosecuting those involved for the sake of saving the girl child’s education in the County,” he said.

Most of the girls engaged in the vice told the Reject that poverty and hunger had pushed them to prostitution, and they asked the Government to come up with new strategies of addressing their problems.

The Reject learnt that most of the girls migrate from rural areas to the urban centres and big towns in the region to look for jobs but instead opt for prostitution when life becomes unbearable.

Mgoja further urged parents to provide guidance to their daughters and enrol them in schools as majority had resorted to prostitution which has a high risk factor of exposing them HIV infection.

He said: “Many parents have failed to take up their responsibilities and this is why the Government must crack the whip against parents who abandon their children to help eradicate the vice in society.”

Elsewhere, the Children’s Department in Ganze District is investigating cases where children have dropped out of school and plans to take action against their parents.

The Children’s Officer, Daniel Mbogo, noted that the areas affected most in the district include Palakumi, Bamba in Ganze and Bamba Divisions, where the old men have

married under aged girls.

“We are going to arrest the old men and send the girls back to school. The ravaging poverty has forced some parents to marry off their daughters to generate cash through dowry payments,” observed Mbogo.

Women leaders in Kilifi town, led by the Vice-chairlady of the Maendeleo Ya Wanawake organization, Asha Saidi, said that many girls go to the beaches to look for tourists. She expressed concern that the problem, if not addressed well, will cause the girls to be infected with HIV. “We should address this problem properly in our communities so that young girls can be rescued from activities that could expose them to sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection,” she said.

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Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Naomi Cidi Development agenda is her key to clinching senator’s position

…By Robert Nyagah

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hen in the corporate world, she needs no introduction because she easily blends into the system. The same applies for when she is in the dusty villages of Kakoneni and Jirole in Malindi, Kilifi County.

It becomes difficult for one to pick her from among the villagers.

Naomi Cidi is lucky to come from a village with a history of enjoying good education having hosted the first few schools at the Coast during the colonial days.

In the village, once she falls back to the Giriama dialect or adorns herself with a Hando — the traditional Mijikenda skirt — one would have to struggle to remove her from the depths of fellow women.

Hard at times, a character she perhaps picked from her stint in the corporate industry where she was a power to reckon with long before many women managed to climb the ladder.

Senator Recently over 400 women gathered at the Malindi Municipal Council and endorsed Cidi, to contest for the position of Kilifi County Senator.

She brings into politics a huge package of experience and has the confidence and skills in the corporate world that will enable her offer better leadership.

“The Kenyan Woman caught up with Cidi in Malindi on a quiet and cool Sunday just after she had held joined a Church services at the Canon Mweri ACK Church Dabaso. The church service ended with a small fund raising for the church’s Mothers Union group.

“Since I announced my interest in contesting for the position of Senator in the Kilifi County, I have been invited to many forums and most of them involve some fund raising or launch of some development project requiring financial support,” explains Cidi.

Development She has learned to incorporate all youth, women and men groups after realising that they all have a role to play in shaping development of the county.

“At first I only zeroed in on the youth given that they are the majority and hold the future development of the county in their hands, a style which I have since reviewed,” observes Cidi.

Initially she would concentrate on women leaders but after a thorough study of the situation she realised the need to have all age groups and listen to their grievances given that each age set and gender has its aspirations.

Despite being a woman, she has had quite positive response from the men after initially fearing that there

could be stereotyping on her move.

“I thought I would get hostility from men, but to my surprise, majority of them are ready to give a woman a chance in leadership,” observes Cidi.

She adds: “I have not faced any stereotype opposition associated with the male chauvinists and I appreciate that situation, sometimes I think the positive response has to do with my background as senior manager in various offices and confidence with which I deal with the people,” explains Cidi.

Issue The people of the Kilifi County are slowly appreciating that she has brought issue based politics in her campaigns without attacking those who have failed to uplift their standards of living.

Cidi’s entry into politics is not strange because the Giriama have a history of producing the first woman to oppose and fight colonialism in the name of Mekatilili wa Menza. It was Mekatilili who first challenged the white man as he took young people to be forced into the British army long before the Mau Mau uprising.

Cidi notes that there are some complexities in politics and she has learnt new lessons that differentiate politics and the corporate world.

“In politics, there are no rules but in the corporate world there are clear rules and regulations,” she notes.

According to Cidi the greatest challenge in Kilifi County is poverty and she would like to see leaders unite in fighting it.

Poverty “The greatest challenge in Kilifi County is poverty whose level stands at 74 per cent, just about 10 per cent higher than the average at the national level.”

Cidi has been studying various reports of areas such as education and agriculture and is of the opinion that if resources are managed properly and in consultation with experts then things can improve.

She encourages investors in education to come to the area and put up modern education institutions right from primary schools to universities.

She notes that the region cannot develop unless institutions are elevated with facilities from both the public and private sector.

“We cannot expect our children to do well in education when we lack schools, colleges and universities as well as the basic facilities,” she observes.

Education Cidi is already in the board of governors in three schools within the County and this has helped give her first hand lessons in education management.

“We need to invite private investors in education to come into the

County and put up schools.

The problem is that we have schools which are under equipped yet the national examinations are the same nationally.” According to Cidi, future leaders of Kilifi County should learn to appreciate that presently the best academic institutions in the country are the private ones and so for any tangible improvement to take place it is the direction to go.

“We need to encourage private schools. It is very clear that the best schools nationally have been the private ones,” notes Cidi.

Although she appreciates that the new Constitution offers the people of the Kilifi County great opportunities to correct past injustices she still partly blames failure on poor Ms Naomi Cidi brings into politics a wealth of experience from the corporate leadership.

She is of the opinion that world. She intends to revive agriculture in Kilifi County. Picture: Robert Nyagah leaders and people of Kilifi County and Coast in general have not been aggressive ernment viewed tourism as the wealth into the hands of Coastal peoin pursuing their rights in various sectors of the economy and pillar of Kenya’s economy, until the ple and Kenyans in general. that this has partly led to low levels other day Kenya did not have a tourCidi appreciates the fact that she of development because resources ism policy. is joining real politics at a time when “For me it is a surprise that until Kilifi County and the Coast have from the national level are limited. the other day, tourism despite hav- huge resources that are yet to be exing been the pillar of Kenya’s econ- ploited.

Cidi notes that there is need to omy for years had no policy through “Imagine what potential lies in revive extension work in agriculture which it could be managed. This the Kilindini and Lamu ports, imagin Kilifi to reduce the levels of pov- means that it was being managed in a ine the agricultural potential, minererty and food shortages affecting the very haphazard way,” reiterates Cidi. als, building sand and the only salt As a Senator, she will work with manufacturing companies in Kenya region. She recalls days when most regions of the Kilifi County flour- experts in Kenya and the foreign in- which are all hosted at the Kilifi ished in agriculture with both food vestors in tourism to set professional County and in Coast. Imagine the rules especially in employment with- entire Coast line with the beautiful and cash crop.

Cidi believes that the same po- in the hotel industry to ensure that beaches and the potential for another tential for agriculture exists and can some social responsibility is held Dubai-why would coast people cry, where indigenous people are at least they will soon be smiling all the way be revived.

“With extension officers and given some roles. . to the Bank,” says Cidi.

“My plan once elected will be to other experts available, the people of Although she previously made Kilifi County would be able to revive bring together all the hoteliers and several attempts on seeking elective the growing of cotton, millet, sor- encourage them to establish car- positions, she says this only prepared ghum and others crops commercially dinal business links with ordinary her for the coming battle.

“I just tested the waters and to levels where they can have enough Kenyans across the County where income from the industry can be gained quite some experience, but to eat and sell surplus” today I am set for the real thing.” shared fairly,” she says.

Her last public position was as Cidi launched her campaigns by She stresses the need to promote going round the entire County with Deputy Managing Director of Kenya irrigation along the Sabaki River a message of development and many Airports Authority for four years.

She was key in revitalising the organand other parts of the County where months later she still indicates. dams can be created and rain water “My agenda is development. We isation to a level where it was able to harvested for agricultural produc- must empower our people to own attract more than KSh2 billion direct tion. She notes that huge amounts land because majority are landless or funding from the government.

Cidi boasts a good educational of storm water are being wasted into squatters,” she observes. the sea through the floods.

The young generation, she argues and professional background, some“If I win the Senator’s seat, must go to school because that is the thing notable for a woman from I will consult widely to create a main path to development generally. the Coast which is wrongly associated with ignoring the education of team of professionals in agriculwomen. For many years she served at ture especially those in the priOpposing any plans towards a managerial position at the headquarvate sector who left because of poor pay and bring them back to separate Coast as a state, Cidi argues ters of the Kenya Airways being in the management of agriculture at that the region has every reason to ap- the main think-tank which saw the public level,” she observes. Cidi preciate the great potential for wealth initial stages of reform at the national is not happy that in the past the from the already operational Kilin- carrier.

Cidi also served as the General economy of the country has always dini Port and the up coming Lamu been pegged on tourism which is Port which will not only be man- Manager of the Tourism Foundation quite fragile. She notes that despite aged according to the present Con- where she assisted in the setting up of the greatness under which the gov- stitution but has the potential to put a Tourism Data Base for Kenya.

Agriculture

Irrigation

Wealth

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Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Increase of sexual abuse worrying legal experts recounting when anybody makes undue move on them, other than being alert to the possibility of being abused.

For this, the children are taught the dangers the would be abusers can exert on their physical body organs, thereby making it easier for them to remember what happened in the event of being assaulted. The approach enables the victims to tell their stores in first person voice by making reference to their body organs.

“With such an approach, the abused children are much willing to recollect their ordeal and give precise details that are crucial in evidence,” Makokha observes.

…By Shem Suchia

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espite the enactment of the Sexual Offences Act 2006 into law, cases of sexual abuse and harassment especially those involving minors have continued unabated.

The laws stipulating stiffer punishment for sexual offenders were envisaged to be a deterrent to the vice in the wake of the rising spate of such incidences.

But legal practioners and litigants in cases where the child is at the centre of the sex abuse litigation confess that securing a conviction for the offender is still not easy.

Child rights advocates like Ms. Mary Makokha who heads the pro-child REEP nongovernmental organisation in Western Province underscore the need for hastened reforms.

Abuse Makokha is of the view that cases of sex abuse of children should be fast-tracked because the child can easily forget relevant things like dates, the dressing type of her abuser and other things that could be crucial in her evidence.

She observed that poor prosecution and laziness coupled with inconclusive investigations by the prosecution are some of the reasons that could hurt the victim’s quest for justice.

“Sometime male prosecutors become hostile in their cross-examination of the victims something that amounts to harassment, while in other instances some do shoddy investigations and would not dare to collect crucial evidence like the victims panties,” she noted.

Ignorance The other impediment is the ignorance of the some of the victims’ parents and the heightened levels of illiteracy levels that lead some to compromise with their children’s assailants.

Observers have advanced that lack of proper model for a children’s court and the conditions in the normal courts are not conducive for children, as is the evident lack of pre and post-trial psychological and emotional counseling for the abused children have only added to the impediment of justice for the abused children.

Victims

But of all the impediments, how the child’s evidence is secured, preserved and presented before the court would determine the fate of the case.

A slack in the sourcing of the evidence at this early stage would certainly render the abused child’s case incredible, and therefore inadmissible.

Makokha said that although things have somewhat slowly improved, and are expected to improve the more in the advent of the new constitution and the on-going judicial and legal reforms, the abused child cannot have his smile just yet.

As a strategy, REEP works directly with the abused children in securing the evidence before it is tempered with. The strategy circumvents the hurdle brought by some of the abused victims’ parents who would rather want the matter handled out of court through a compromise between the victim and her assailants.

Culture A few years ago, the culture of silence coupled with rampant poverty and ignorance saw sex offenders approaching their victims’ families with money to buy them into silence in Butula and Nambale districts. But now this is changing with the heightened awareness.

REEP’s strategy dubbed as ‘Body Map Approach’ empowers the abused children to use their body parts in

Makokha notes that the information REEP gets raw information from the victims when their memory is still active.

The outcome has been encouraging as the quality of the evidence so gathered has enabled her organisation win most of the over 250 child abuse cases it has brought to court in the past two years.

Remarkably, she adds, even in cases where the parents of the victims would have wanted out of court settlement, it is now the children themselves who come forward to reject their parent’s decision.

Rights “The fact that communities have known their rights and are now fast at owning up on child abuse as a crime and are demanding for justice is an achievement in some parts of Western Kenya,” adds Makokha.

Nevertheless, she notes that the battle is far from over and more still need to be done to ensure that the habit is reduced to zero by reporting cases of child abuse to the authority.

The sexual offences act 2006 punishes offenders by sentencing them of between 10 years and life in jail for convicted rapists, including perpetrators of incest. It also gives a minimum sentence of five years for attempted rape.

The act also carries with it life sentence for the rape of minors and has also punishes those found guilty of deliberately transmitting HIV/Aids virus and other STIs to the minors.

Cultural stereotypes undermining women’s empowerment …By Ben Oroko

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he Gusii community has been challenged to shun entrenched socio-cultural stereotypes that undermine women’s ability to aspire for political and socio-economic leadership positions provided for in the Constitution. According to Charles Nyachae, chairman Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC), the community should stop discrimination and social prejudice against women seeking political leadership positions.

Speaking at Gusii Institute of Technology in the Kisii County during a one-day workshop on the new constitution on devolution recently, Nyachae reminded area residents that Article27 (8) of the Constitution was very clear that the Government shall take legislative measures to ensure that not more than two thirds of the members of elective or appointive bodies shall be of the same gender.

“I am reminding you and the general public to take this constitutional provision seriously, since any time you exceed representation of one gender in either elective or appointive body, you have automatically broken the constitution,” noted Nyachae.

He regretted that entrenched socio-cultural stereotypes which discriminate against women seeking political leadership positions will be costly to counties in terms of expenses for paying salaries and allowances to members of bloated county assemblies which will nominate large numbers of women to meet the constitutional threshold of one third of either gender representation.

Gender “If you fail to elect women for various county assembly positions in line with the new constitutional threshold of the one third of either gender representation, then they will be nominated and this will lead to a bloated county assembly, translating to more expenses in terms of salaries and allowances,” warned Nyachae.

He observed that the absence of women from political and leadership positions undermines democracy and women’s political and socio-economic empowerment. “Cultural stereotypes and social prejudices against women make it impossible for women to actualise their potential in political and socio-economic leadership positions,” stressed Nyachae. He noted: “Women

should not be judged on the basis of their gender but instead be gauged on their ability just like men.”

Nyachae reiterated that women seeking leadership and those in leadership positions in rural-based communities continue facing challenges of gender discrimination and prejudices since men in those communities are staunch custodians of conservative cultural practices which alienate women from political and various leadership responsibilities.

“It is regrettable that, at this modern age there still exist socio-cultural stereotypes against women and people who still believe that women are incapable of leading,” observed Nyachae.

He said there is urgent need for a paradigm shift in the society towards women’s ability to offer leadership in various capacities if the two thirds affirmative action principle in the Constitution has to benefit women in the country.

Threat Nyachae expressed concerns over the current situation where some senior Government officials continue to resist new constitutional realities and outright disrespect to the constitution, threatening the implementation of the new constitution.

“If senior Government officials are not yet awake to the realities of the new constitutional and do not respect it, then how do you expect an ordinary citizen to respect the new laws?” posed Nyachae.

He challenged Kenyans to be vigilant and ensure that the Constitution is implemented fully to the letter and spirit for the benefit of the country and citizens. Nyachae reminded Kenyans that the success or failure of county governments will not depend on the laws that are in place but will be all about the quality of leaders they will vote and entrust them with leadership.

“The people of Kenya overwhelmingly voted for the new constitution based on the provision on devolution that provides for decentralisation of power and resources from the central Government to the grassroots, through the county governments,” noted Nyachae. “It is, therefore, important for the electorate to make wise decisions on the people they will elect as senator, governor and in all other county positions to enhance successful performance of their county governments,” advises Nyachae.

Financial constraint a major challenge to women aspirants Continued from page 1

She told the women to remember the 3As’ — Access, Agenda and Accountability — in their campaign platforms that voters will put their hope in and trust regardless of the political party affiliation. In addition she encouraged them that people will elect them despite the financial challenges they are facing.

Access

Nzomo explained that access is the process and culture of seeking entry to and engagement with various socio-economic and political structures of recruitments and participation either at community, civil society, political parties or at parliamentary level.

While agenda setting is both the process and the action plan in form of covenants, promises, undertakings and declarations that a leader makes with the target constituency or region and seeks to execute in fulfilment of the needs of the constituency that she /he represents.

Accountability is the personal disposition as well as the outcome, fulfilment and the impact made to the people before, during campaign and after the elections no matter the outcome.

Indeed, Kenya is trailing behind its neighbours in the region as far as women’s political leadership is concerned with a paltry 9.8 per cent women representation in Parliament.

Uganda stands at 35 per cent, Tanzania 36 per cent, Ethiopia 27.8 per cent and Rwanda, the world’s leader

in women’s representation at 56.3 per cent.

In reality, Kenya even lags behind Sudan which has been embroiled in civil war for decades and now has 24.6 per cent women representation in the North and 26.5 per cent in the youngest state, South Sudan.

Crisis

In the current Parliament, out of the 222 Members of Parliament in Kenya, only 22 are women MPs, 16 of whom were directly elected while six are nominated. If this is a depiction of what is likely to happen in the next general elections under new political dispensation, there could be constitution crisis compelling the Independent Electoral Boundary Commission (IEBC) to call for more women’s nomi-

nations by political parties.

Only time will tell how the current constitution requirements are going to be achieved come 2013.

As much as it is important to have more women getting into leadership positions, countries which have reached the 30 per cent threshold have raised a concern that the numbers in themselves have not brought much change in women’s lives.

The sad reality is that most women aspiring to leadership positions seem to either have limited capacity or lack an enabling environment to set an agenda that speaks to the needs of fellow women and/or to champion that agenda once they get into those positions.

As women push for a mechanism to actualise the two-thirds provision, it

is important to think not just about the quantity but also the quality of their leadership. In this regard, a few questions bags answer from the electorates to women aspirants.

For instance; what is the agenda that women are bringing into leadership? Is it an agenda that can translate into real change in women’s lives?

What is the connection between women’s access to leadership, having a sound agenda and remaining accountable to the women constituency?

Loss

Unless these pondering questions are answered convincingly, many women are likely to lose the competitive seats to men except for the 47 set aside for county representatives leading to constitutional crisis.

5

Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Controversy dogs the constitutional implementation …By Faith Muiruri

A

s the country marks two years after the promulgation of the Constitution, the political class is on the spotlight for trying to circumvent the Constitution in order to suit their selfish interests.

The lawmakers have displayed an unacceptable degree of impunity in the past few months by passing controversial amendments to the Political Parties Act and the Elections Act, in complete disregard of the constitution which was overwhelmingly passed by majority of Kenyans.

And although President Kibaki has refused to assent to the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) bill, the public is disenchanted and majority feel that their collective resolve to push for reforms through the constitution has been compromised.

The implementation process has been mired in controversy with MPs attempting to sneak in issues which serve their interests.

Litigation

Currently some of the enacted legislations are subject to litigation.

According to the Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC), the passing of the Contingencies Fund Act and National Government Act, negated the constitution and thus is subject to litigation.

Further, the passing of the Statute Law Miscellaneous (Amendment) bill in parliament raises pertinent issues on the constitutionality of the proposed changes which would have seen MPs undermine public interest and shield themselves from party hopping.

It is now increasingly becoming clear that the MPs cannot be trusted to safeguard the aspirations of the Constitution especially where they have vested interests.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has in fact called for a critical review of all laws that have been passed to ensure that they comply with the letter and spirit of the constitution.

“Laws that are not compliant with the Constitution are as good as no laws at all. We have to probe whether constitutionalism and respect for the rule of law is getting entrenched or subverted and short changed as we implement the Constitution,” cautions Raila.

The PM says that unless Kenyans inculcate the culture of constitutionalism in respective legislations, then the struggle for a new constitutional dispensation will have been in vain and its promulgation an exercise in futility that gives Kenyans a false sense of glory and achievement.

Impunity

“It is generally agreed that the absence of constitutionalism, combined with an appetite for impunity manifested in a determination not to obey rules, has been responsible for Kenya’s tribulations. We are also aware that the vested interests who want to retain the status quo have crippled attempts by many countries to make a transition to democracy,” he explains during a round table meeting on the implementation of the Constitution.

He notes that the culture of creating good laws, then undermining them at every turn had become entrenched in the country where majority still wallow in misery while the ruling elite continue to enjoy themselves in luxurious lifestyles.

“Let us not forget what gave us the final impetus and courage and made

President Kibaki with dignitaries at Uhuru park during the promulgation of the constitution in 2010. Below Prime Minister Raila Odinga in consultation with CIC Chairman Charles Nyachae during the meeting.

Pictures: Kenya Woman Correspondent

majority accept that indeed we needed a new constitution. Let us not forget that it is the institutional failure; a failed electoral system, a failed judiciary, a failed police force and a failure of the state in 2007-2008 that woke us up from self imposed slumber and made us confront our imminent collapse,” Raila noted.

He challenged Kenyans to rise and defend the constitution and ensure its full implementation as this was the only way to avoid the ugly scenes witnessed during the last polls.

Integrity

The PM also called on leaders to respect the constitution as this was the only way they can question Kenyans if they fail to elect leaders who fail to meet the integrity test as spelt out in Chapter Six of the Constitution.

The PM spoke as the chairman of the Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) Charles Nyachae urged all players in the implementation process to work together in a harmonious, consultative and transparent manner. “The adoption of this approach will help avoid disagreements and increase public confidence in the process,” observed Nyachae.

He accused Parliament of overstepping its mandate by introducing changes that seek to undermine the Constitution and challenged Kenyans to guard against forces out to scuttle the implementation process.

“Parliament is an important organ of the constitution but it is precisely that, an organ of the Constitution. By definition, therefore, and in line with Article 2 of the Constitution, Parliament like all other Constitutional organs is subordinate to the Constitution of Kenya 2010,” reiterated Nyachae. He noted: “It is therefore important that

Kenyans in cognisance with Article 3 of the Constitution to challenge any issues of constitutional nature arising from parliamentary proceedings.”

He said that the implementation process has been marred by a series of challenges among them the inability by key actors to agree on the constitutional provisions relating to the process.

“The most popular challenge is the seemingly consistent difficulty by the CIC to arrive at a common understanding with the office of the Attorney General on the legislative process contemplated in Article 261 and in particular which laws if initiated either by the executive or a private members bill would fall outside the apex of provisions of 261,” he explained.

Nyachae reiterated that if this issue is not addressed conclusively it will continue to pose a serious challenge to the process and indeed certainly impede the implementation of the Constitution.

Approach

He expressed the need to employ an inclusive approach during the development of legislations noting that the administrative procedure of the implementation process continues to lag behind with the legislative process.

However, CIC has been engaging government ministries, departments and agencies to correct the anomaly.

“CIC has nonetheless had to audit laws that have been enacted by parliament and concluded but which contain provisions that largely violate the letter and spirit of the constitution,” Nyachae regretted.

He noted that the CIC has shared this concern with the Executive in particular with state law office with the request that such laws be amended to comply with the Constitution.

Agree

“However, where the Executive is unable to agree with CIC on this or in any event is unwilling to act as recommended, CIC has sought judicial intervention to determine the particular matter,” said Nyachae.

He pointed out that implementing a transformative supreme law such as the Constitution of the Kenya 2010 was never going to be an easy task.

Other distinct challenges relate to the need to have a common understanding among all the actors in the implementation process of their respective roles and to achieve the mode of working that mutually ac-

knowledges and respects these roles.

“The process has been challenged by such lack of common understanding. For instance when parliament was debating the Statute Miscellaneous( Amendment) bill, CIC wrote to the Speaker of the National Assembly giving opinion on the constitutionality of some amendments introduced on the floor of the House during the debate and requesting the Speaker to draw constitutional conscience in the context of the then emerging debate.

However, this provoked uproar from parliamentarians both in and outside Parliament who accused CIC of seeking to supervise parliament,” observed Nyachae.

Attorney General Githu Muigai noted that the Constitution is the largest single pillar on which Kenyans are building a stable, prosperous and equitable nation.

Differences

However, he said that differences of opinion will continue to emerge and will range from methods, strategy, tactics and priority but called for tolerance adding that the ongoing debate should not be used to create despondency in the country.

6

Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Women seek to rival men for Trans Nzoia county leadership

is better placed owing to the wide experience in the development activities of the county.

…By Abisai Amugune

W

hen Jennifer Masis recently lost her bid for a seat in the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) by seven votes, many thought the Trans Nzoia women’s rights activist had ended her political career and crusade for elective leadership.

No, this was not the end of the road for Masis who is yet to face a group of male aspirants for the Endebess Parliamentary seat in the coming General Elections.

After losing the EALA seat to Patrick Mutuku — with whom she holds membership in the Wiper Democratic Party, Masis doubts that any man will beat her again for the new Endebess seat.

This will be the third attempt for the Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organization (MYWO) executive member for a parliamentary slot having contested for the Kwanza Constituency in 2002 and 2007, losing to the incumbent Dr Noah Wekesa, who is the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife.

Chance “I am leaving no chance to anyone. My record speaks for itself and rest assured Trans Nzoia men and women would hate to cast their votes for the losing side,” she says.

However, Okul will first have to contend with the controversy currently facing the MYWO over its cash expenditure.

Former Nzoia County Council clerk Elizabeth Nyongesa, firmly stuck in Ford-Kenya is criss-crossing the county convincing them of her performance at the civic body which culminated in the authority being placed in the third position countrywide.

Unlike Nyongesa, Susan Moss, widow of the late Mt. Elgon MP Daniel Moss, will be treading carefully as a newcomer to Trans Nzoia politics. She will cash in on the Sabaot community block support.

Party

Seat The Endebess seat is among Ms. Jenifer Masis (4th from left) in a celebratory mood during a past function in Kitale town. Picture: Abisae Amugune the new 80 constituencies that have been created in the justconcluded delimitations of tive apart from their selected women “Tell them, (men) they are wast- many candidates for the women’s repelectoral parliamentary and civic representatives’ positions. ing their time looking for the Senate resentative slot. boundaries by the Independent ElecSo far, no woman has indicated seat. Tell them to come to my farm “It is a waste of time contesttoral and Boundaries Commission interest for the governor’s position and see my maize after which they ing among more than five aspirants.

(IEBC). It was shelved off Kwanza that has attracted the largest number will realise what a woman can do Moreover, it has always been my Constituency. of candidates who include Wekesa, without the help of a man,” Manduli wish to enter the National Assembly Masis will face off with among former Permanent Secretary Patrick calling herself Lioness said in an in- through a constituency,” notes Sang. others Dr Nathan Psiwa, Dr Rob- Khaemba, businessmen Joel Gesuka terview. She is a staunch Ford Kenya Going for the seat for the third ert Pokose, former nominated MP and Kamau Muchori, Kakai Bisau, supporter. time, Sang, daughter of prominent Samuel Moiben, former Kitale Mayor Boniface Wanyonyi, a teacher Julius The outspoken Manduli known politician Ezekiel Bargetuny, will face Joshua Werunga and Engineer Rich- Matofari and an administrator God- for stylish wear and being an ally to off aspirants such as media marketer ard Chesebe. frey Targon.

Moses Wetang’ula, the Ford-Kenya Tom Mzungu, George Kapten, lawyer Pokose welcomed women’s particLeading the pack to take on men party leader and Trade Minister says Bernard Walubengo and farmer Feripation in Endebess for a competitive for the Senate, is former MYWO boss Trans Nzoia as the ‘granary of Kenya’, dinand Wanyonyi. and healthy voting. “We are ready to Zipporah Kittony and former nation- requires an agriculture minded sena“I am still in Kanu I have never face her,” he said. al chairperson of the NGO coordinat- tor. thought of any other party other than To which Masis reiterated: “I was ing council Orie Rogo Manduli.

“In the Senate we need people KANU, the party of independence,” born and brought up in Endebess.”

Kittony who had initially thrown with clean records and not self-ag- she says in a telephone conversation.

“I understand the challenges fac- herself into the Cherangany Parlia- grandised elements whose interest Opening the can for the women’s ing the local communities and that is mentary box changed her mind to the is to make money out of politics. If representative position is Justine Sitti why I have chosen to present them to senate exuding confidence to erase they need money, let them open busi- who says she personally participated the authorities through the National male dominance. She is associated nesses.” in the process of the past through the Assembly. I also want to unite and with Kanu party.

She said Trans Nzoia faces infra- introduction blue prints and as such bring them under one umbrella of structural problems despite having she deserves the seat. peace, prosperity and development,” been led by male chauvinistic leader“Many Trans Nzoia residents live she notes.

“Though the field is big and wide, I ship adding that the Senate requires below the poverty line and most parents Masis cites poor road network, have prepared enough to face the men fresh minds of workaholics and good cannot afford fees for their children nor resettlement of the landless and of all qualities and experience hav- negotiator. food,” notes Sitti. She observes: “The squatters, colonial displacements, ing been the MYWO chairperson in Others in the field include For the untold misery has caused a high rate forests evictions, improved educa- the county and having steered Trans Moi university lecturer Hellen Yego of school dropouts as well as drug and tion and social economic entre- Nzoia ASK shows to greater heights of whose dream to represent Cheran- alcohol abuse not to mention the HIV preneurship as some of areas that development, I have no doubt I know gany people has refused to go. Mak- pandemic and early pregnancies.” provoked her to seek political rep- all the corners where the votes are,” ing her second attempt at the seat, resentation in parliament. She says noted Kittony. She said and advised the don has lined up the needs of she also fought for the affirmative fellow women to diversify leader- the residents which she says will this Sitti who took the bull by the horn action for gender parity. ship and contest various seats in the time round push her towards victory. by standing against the late Michael county.

Kijana Wamalwa for the Saboti Seat The men garnering for the Senate in 2002 says such myriad challenges Masis will be joining other wom- include Dr Nathaniel Tum, Robert Yego in her manifesto outlines ar- in Trans Nzoia need a tested ardent en aspirant eyeing various seats with- Wamalwa, Andrew Odeo, Ken Wa- eas such as education, agriculture, in- and approved leader like “Mama Sitti in the Trans Nzoia County whose fula, Henry ole Ndiema, Davies Naki- frastructure and security that require who can give strategic interventions”. leadership has been dominated by tare, Joshua arap Sang and Prof David closer attention. She will wrestle suShe is leaning towards Justice men for a long time now. No woman Kikaya allied to Musalia Mudavadi’s premacy and muscles against incum- and Constitutional Affairs Minister in the region has ever been elected United Democratic Forum. bent Joshua Kuttuny, Kipruto Kirwa, Eugene Wamalwa’s New Ford Kenya MP. Manduli known as Naliaka Moses Buyela, Musoke Muliro and Party.

Breaking away from the tradi- Chebosis in political circles (dialects Patrick Walungo among others.

For Naomi Okul, the MYWO Nation where women have shied away for Bukusu and Sabaot communities), Also in the race is Edna Sang who tional Treasurer, all is not gone for this from contesting elective positions, the Machewa farmer in Saboti con- is promising a bruising battle against Kitale Farmer to ‘grab’ the seat covthe women have vowed to rival their stituency is leaving no doubt that she men candidates in Kwanza. eted by most women leaders. Divided male counterparts for the seats of will be turning tables on these elecSang settled on the parliamentary between ODM and Ford-Kenya parMPs, Senate and County representa- tions. seat after realising that there were too ties, Okul is, however, convinced she

Voters

Leader

Men

Supremacy

However, businesswoman Dorothy Cherop is carefully weighing between New Ford Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA and Raila Odinga’s ODM as indicated by the Sabaot Community. However, sources say Cherop is inclined much towards TNA. Other newcomers include teachers Evelyne Koro, Christine Tanguli, Christine Barasa and Grace Mulati while former councillor Margaret Odemba and nominated civic leader Janet Nangabo who wish to renew their contracts with voters with a bigger margin of the county. One Janet Kaitano has her fingers still crossed.

So Kiminini and Saboti remain the only constituencies that have yet to attract women aspirants. Jonas Kuuko and David Lazaro of Saboti are decrying the discrepancy and urge local women to throw themselves into the ring.

“I would have liked to share a platform with a woman candidate to gauge her strength,” says Kuuko.

Lazaro noted: “We still have more time. I hope we will see a women come up before the expiry of the time line.”

Kiminini front runner Dr. Chris Wamalwa is not disturbed whether or not a woman joins the race. “I welcome all aspirants. This is not a woman’s or man’s seat. It is the seat for Kiminini people,” says Wamalwa who is a lecturer at the University of Nairobi.

Platform It, therefore, remains up to the women to vie for the 25 county representative posts to increase their bargaining power in the area. Saboti has Kinyoro, Saboti, Machewa, Matisi and Tuwan wards while Cherangany has Sinyereri, Sitatunga, Makutano, Cherangany, Motosiet, Kapalami and Chepsiro. For Endebess it is Chepchoina, Matumbei and Endebess, while for Kwanza it is Kapomboi, Kaisagat, Lessos and Kwanza. Kiminini has Sikhendu, Nabiswa, Kiminini, Waitaluk, Sirende and Hospital wards.

7

Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Pledge for a peaceful electoral process …By Henry Owino

A

s the country draws towards the next general elections, women are worried that if what they saw in 2007-2008 is to happen again, then Kenyans would go to the dogs.

However, as the intuitive gets strong, women drawn from 47 counties recently came together to pledge and sign a peace memorandum that would ensure never again shall their sons and husbands be misused to cause polls chaos.

The women assured the country that they wish to be counted in guarding peace in the forth coming polls.

They will do this through preaching peace and unity before, during and after the elections.

The women urged Kenyans from all walks of life to shun ethnicity, which they pointed out as a major problem in escalating division among communities. The women reiterated their strong belief to have great influence to a peaceful election and smooth transition of power to the next president elect.

Leaders

The conference was organised by the Kenya Private Sector (KEPSA) in conjunction with Women Peace Forum held at KICC, Nairobi where at least 200 women leaders from all the counties attended.

According to Gloria Ndekei, KEPSA Gender and Sector Board Director, Kenya is one and bigger than any individual despite various ethnic communities and races. She advised the women not to let their husbands, sons and brothers be used by politicians to fight opponents for selfish gains but instead preach peace.

“As women you have the power in your hands to preach peace and ensure the forthcoming elections are held peacefully,” noted Ndekei.

While admitting that in a natural society women depend on men for strength, protection, provision, guidance and leadership, Ndekei however cautioned that in times of high political voltage and turbulence it is women and children who suffer most.

She noted that times of war are not natural by any stretch of the imagination so peace needs to be upheld all times.

“History has taught us that there are certain individuals who become politically significant and they can do anything to gain power. Such times when men sought power to rule as well as gain financial and social domination over others is long gone. It is time for policies and development agenda and not just a political ambition overriding all,” noted Ndekei.

Peace

Her sentiments were echoed by Constantine Kandie, Peace Forum chairperson who said Kenya is once again facing an election year but trends and cases of hate speech are already being reported. “It is high time women said no to such candidates and their camps and instead join hands with those whose policies promote peace,” Kandie reiterated.

Ndekei challenged women to reflect on the question of who suffers the most between women and men during violence if it is not the young and innocent boys who are sent to war. She asked the women to ponder over who pays the price for such atrocities if not the mothers.

“It is the woman who pays the price when news comes home that her son or husband is dead. She feels along with her grief, the labour pains all over again,” affirmed Ndekei.

She reiterated that a woman pays the price when hordes of opposing forces fall on her the children and

young girls when they stamp victory upon the “enemy camp’’, the camp she has been made to believe is her camp.

In political upheaval come all sorts of evil such as rape, ravage, destruction of homes and property as well as loss of lives of innocent defenceless people.

“It is the wounded mother carrying the seed of an unknown or known assailant who gives birth to the unwanted baby. Most people in the IDPs camps are women and this simply shows how women are hit hard when violence occurs,” Ndekei pointed out.

Change

Kandie said there is the context of momentous social and constitutional change. She clarified that KEPSA in collaboration with other likeminded stakeholders have come up with the slogan; My Kenya — Sauti ya Mama, or Mkenya Daima — Sauti ya Mama Initiative to ensure that peace prevails.

Kandie explained that the slo-

Women leaders led by Ms. Gloria Ndekei of KEPSA carries the candles during a conference on peaceful elections in Nairobi. Picture: Henry Owino gan would ensure the whole electoral process is peaceful and citizens are equipped with information and knowledge of electing leaders with integrity regardless of ethnicity. She added that voices of women before and after the electoral process are of special emphasis.

“We have power to transform the destiny of this country and, therefore, women must stand up and stop any potential conflict in its tracks. Women are peace makers so avoid violence and instead sell your policies to voters,” Kandie emphasised.

She said KEPSA Women Peace Forum would replicate the initiative possibly in all the 47 counties before next general elections since women are able and can achieve it.

Kandie maintained that for the sake of the children, and the coun-

try, women must say no to any future conflict and to leaders who instigate violence and promote division along tribal lines.

“We will say yes to peace lovers and development minded leaders since the purpose of this forum is not to find out whether we can do it but how we will do it,” stressed Kandie.

She said the output of the forum was to ensure female leaders become champions of peace from all counties. In addition, she promised that peace memorandum will roll out in other parts of the country for other women to sign.

“Very soon there will be a caravan of peace campaign moving in all counties with clear benchmarks. This is the only way to ensure Kenya have peaceful election by shunning down rogue leaders who are bent on inciting the youth,” Kandie assured.

Women worried ethnicity may cost them positions …By Henry Owino

E

thnicity has been blamed as being the bane of Kenya’s problems. Women are now calling for demystifying of the ghost of ethnicity so that peace can prevail and the country moves forward.

Towards this end, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) is currently conducting a survey to establish ethnic representation in public institutions.

Move

However, while this may be viewed as a good move, there are others who are opposed to the way it is being conducted. Executive Director of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD), Njeri Kabeberi has cried foul over the method being used to collect the data to determine ethnic balance in public institutions.

Kabeberi has condemned the survey by the NCIC and termed it inappropriate.

“The NCIC’s mandate is to bring national cohesion, asking people of their ethnic origin makes them more ethnically anxious and this is not acceptable,” noted Kabeberi.

Addressing participants at recent gender forum organised by Heinrich Böll Stiftung Foundation in Nairobi, Kabeberi said asking people their ethnic identify was in a way making Kenyans more tribal than ever before.

Under the theme ‘Women and Ethnicity in Kenyan Politics’, the youth and women present were urged to vote in women in various political offices in the next coming general election.

“I was born and bred in Nairobi; the only tribe I know and speak is Kenyan. When you ask me where I come from to determine my ethnicity, it’s like forcing me to think like, ‘oh!’ I am from a particular tribe and not Kenyan anymore,” asserted Kabeberi.

Kabeberi noted that the Ministry of East Africa Community claims it will achieve political federation in the five countries by 2015 yet Kenya is divided under ethnic groupings.

“How far will the East African Community dream be realised if solving small issues like ethnicity is a big problem?” poses Kabeberi.

She regretted that the NCIC bid to determine ethnic balance in public institutions will not help Kenyans move forward.

Echoing the same sentiments, Prof Maria Nzomo revealed that when NCIC’s officials went to her office during the ongoing survey to determine ethnic balance in public institutions, she refused to disclose her ethnic group.

“They came to my office, asked for my ethnic origin and I told them I am Kenyan. When they insisted I told them to leave the form blank,” explained Nzomo who is the chair of the Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations at the University of Nairobi.

Nzomo observed that Kenya should learn from Rwanda which experienced genocide due to ethnicity. She suggested that NCIC find a better method to carry out the survey other than bringing in the tribes.

She reiterated that if women were to be viewed first as women, this country could have gone far. “Instead they come second with ethnic groups being number one,” noted Nzomo. She wondered how the gains in gender equity and equality would be achieved despite the provision in the current dispensation.

Tribal

Nzomo called on women not to be divided along tribal lines and instead vote for able women who have a development agenda and policies which will unite them for a common goal in elective positions.

“We have a role as women and as Kenyans.

We should now vote for fellow women and take advantage of the provisions of the current Constitution and have more women in the next government,” noted Nzomo.

According to the Constitution, employers should ensure ethnic balance. Having more than two thirds of the same community in an institution or department is against the law. This will

also ensure job opportunities for those who qualify for them rather tribe mate absorption.

Speaking during the plenary session, Prof Karega Munene, an anthropologist from United States International University (USIU) attributed negative ethnicity to education.

“The more educated we become the more ethnic you become. I say this because it is the educated people who promote it since they know how to benefit from ethnicity,” Munene observed.

He asked the NCIC to incorporate scholars in the cohesion process. He complained that scholars have been left out in the cohesion efforts yet their expertise is needed.

“The Cohesion Commission needs to tap human resource of sociologists, physiologists, anthropologists and other scholars to advise it on how to build nationhood cohesion,” advised Munene.

Other concerns that arose from the forum were how NCIC will determine the ethnicity of women married to men from different communities yet they use their spouses’ surnames.

Also deliberated on were questions like if Kenya ready for a women President and if yes, will negative ethnicity once again make us choose incompetent, greedy leaders in the coming general elections? Will women seeking elective positions be viewed first as women and then discriminated against because of the community they come from?

These concerns are perhaps some of the past trends of voting in men and locking out women in competitive elective positions. Another factor brought to the attention of NCIC officials present at the meeting was how to determine ethnic origin based on shared names among communities.

However, Prof Jacqueline Oduol, Secretary for Children Affairs in the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development defended NCIC saying Kenyans need to understand why the survey is being carried out instead of sweeping ethnic issues under the carpet.

Oduol who was the guest speaker at the forum said there is a need to investigate ethnic tension in the NCIC’s survey.

She alluded that the tension may be caused by one community feeling worthy not to be touched or credentials to employments being compromised for certain individuals adding that the other underlying factor may be to protect self-interests.

She suggested keen listening instead of trivial, discussion in place of criticising, persuasion instead of contempt, taking responsibility instead of being defensive as the solution to a way of averting negative ethnicity in the country.

“Blaming people will not help us move forward. We should move from leader centric leadership to collaborative relational process. Blame games are used to buy time and escape responsibility,” noted Oduol.

Other speakers in the meeting also cautioned against voting along tribal lines in the coming general election. They unanimously agreed to vote leaders who have a vision for the country and have a development agenda not tribe basis.

The National Cohesion and Integration Act, bestows the Commission a duty to facilitate and promote the equality of opportunity, good relations, harmony and peaceful co-existence. These involve persons of the different ethnic and racial communities of Kenya as well as to advise the government on all aspects of co-existence.

Ethnicity

One of NCIC’s strategies is by holding national multimedia conversation on race and ethnicity.

In Article 232(i) of the current Kenyan Constitution, equality of men and women is provided for as fundamental human rights.

The Constitution requires adequate and equal opportunities for appointment, training and advancement for women and men at all levels within the Public Service Commission. It further ensures that there is ethnic balance in all public service positions.

8

Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Women farmers in Molo and Kitui gets World Bank financial boost access …By Malachi Motano

W

omen farmers in Molo and Kitui will now maximise their participation in and their benefits from the agricultural markets from financial assistance from the Japanese government.

Through the World Bank in collaboration with the ministry of Agriculture, the Japanese government will fund a three year programme dubbed ‘accelerating rural women’s access to agricultural markets and trade’ to a tune of US$ 3 million.

The programme is spearheaded by Grassroots Organizations Operating Together in Sisterhood (Groots Kenya).

Farmers The project development objective is to empower 3400 vulnerable women farmers in Kitui and Molo economically and socially, improve their livelihoods and strengthen their business skills to allow them maximize their participation and benefit from agricultural markets and society.

The Director of Agriculture Dr. Mary Kamau revealed that the ministry has developed the Agricultural Sector Development Strategy (ASDS) with four thematic pillars that include, women leadership and governance, women property right, community resilience to HIV and AIDS and community resilience to disasters and climate change.

Market She said that the organisation intends to promote dairy production and horticulture in Molo and Kitui, and to increase the farm incomes and also construct a market in Molo to enhance trade in farm products.

Kamau noted that the Ministry is promoting agro-industry as the take off point in the transformation of Kenya’s economy from agrarian to

industrial.

“Since Molo has great potential, to produce vegetables, tomatoes, onions, potatoes dairy milk among other farm production, the women farmers even their male counterparts must now form pressure groups that determine prices of their production in the markets to avoid exploitation by the purchase groups,” she added.

The area District Commissioner Mr. Julius Kavita challenged women farmers to start supermarkets in the town and neighbouring towns.

“Given that women form over 50 percent of the country’s population and 85 percent of successful projects are by them, it is important that they also be in the frontline in selling their agricultural produce,” he noted.

According to Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) Coordinator for Molo Dr. Margaret Mahasi, women farmers in Molo and Kitui will be supplied with indigenous chicken.

She revealed that the 9,000 chicken that were introduced to farmers in Turkana last year are doing well.

Partnership According to Ms. Rajeesh Paralkar who is the Deputy Country Director of the World Bank, the bank will continue in its partnshership and mainstreaming gender programmes in the country.

She revealed that out of the US$ 3 million, US $ 2.8 will go to Groots Kenya while the rest will remain with the bank for the management programmes.

In Kenya agriculture remains the cornerstone of the country’s economy contributing directly about 26 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 60 percent of the export earnings.

It employs 75 percent of the population, provides 75 percent industrial raw materials and 455 Top: Rajeecs Parlker, World Bank official addresing the particpants during the meeting. Below: government revenue and also supports 24 million Mr. Julius Kavita, Distrcit Commissioner Molo addressing the participants. The Director of people, most of who are smallholder resource Agriculture Dr. Mary Kamau giving his speech dueing the function. Pictures: Malachi Motano poor rural farm house holds.

Laikipia women change tact to change male perceptions on leadership …By Paul Mwaniki

M

ama Safi courageously takes the microphone from the master of ceremonies to address a gathering at Dol Dol town in Laikipia North District.

To make her point sink in for all who are in attendance, she asks another lady to translate what she is saying in Maasai language to Kiswahili.

Many of us who don’t hail from the region were thinking that Mama Safi, as she is fondly referred to by all those who know her, was to lead a certain group of women to entertain the guests, which is the major task of women in the region.

Instead, the tall dark complexioned woman was here to give a lecture on the new constitution and the rights of women as entrenched in the document.

Gap Courageous and out of the norm, she summons men who are seated in a group away from women to come closer, and, at least, merge with their wives as she continues. The men, though reluctant, manage to close the gap between them.

In historic style, a woman who cannot even speak a single word of English teaches a whole congregation on issues of the rights of women and the stake they hold in the society, to the amazement of men who only watch.

According to a trainer who took the women through the civic education, Mama Safi, at the start of the training, challenged them that if they could not find ways of making women

who had never set foot in a classroom understand the difficult language used in the Constitution, then they were the ones who would be regarded as fools.

Meet Jennifer Kasana, aka Mama Safi, who hails from Il Polei village. She is the chairlady of the Enyuata Olosho Women’s Group.

The group, which was formed five years ago, is the most successful women’s group in the pastoralist region.

With the support from the Government and other local NGOs, the women are spinning a wheel that, for a long time, many thought would be difficult to do among the Laikipia Maasai.

With a commanding voice, one that even men would not hesitate to respect, Mama Safi knows every right that a woman and the constitution has on matters pertaining to elections.

Culture After a training of trainers’ session, she and other women have been conducting door-to-door civic education, especially to women, and at the same time empowering them on matters of abandoning retrogressive cultures as well as being the neck in their homes.

“Since we started this programme we have been to over half the number of homesteads in Laikipia North and we will not rest until we are done” notes Kasana. Then we will start organising public barazas where we will invite other women to talk to our men and the youth.”

She is very critical of politicians who bribe the youth so that they can cause chaos during and after elections.

“Our children have in the past been misused by the politicians, who, espe-

cially in this region, buy them miraa and cheap liquor so that they can heckle women aspirants. We won’t tolerate this during this time and through our groups we have given a strict warning to such politicians that this time round women will not support them,” she warned.

The women, who were speaking after a peace walk, were happy with the support they have been getting from the region as they take the role of educators and campaigners of peace during elections.

Mama Safi noted that their efforts were rubberstamped by the number of male participants in the female organised event.

“Rarely do women invite men to a meeting they have organised because they will never turn up. Currently, whenever the Enyuata Olosho Group has a meeting and people are notified they avail themselves in numbers. This is a testimony that the much awaited change of our men’s perception on women is slowly fading away,” noted Kasana.

Positions The group’s matron, Francisca Legei, said that they have been able to advocate for women’s rights and urge for leadership positions in the district, and that it was bearing fruit.

“We commend the administration for noticing our efforts and our call for leadership positions has been taken seriously. Women are now in a security committee and in a recent exercise for recruiting chiefs women were considered differently from what has been the practice in the past,” noted Legei.

Speaking during the ceremony, Paul Kinyanjui, Laikipia North District Commissioner thanked the women for being at the forefront in agitating for peace during this period of campaigns. He noted that it was a noble cause to see women taking the challenge in the region where they are so lowly regarded.

Kinyanjui called on parents in the region to ensure their children went to school so that the problem of cattle rustling that is slowly creeping back can come to an end.

Policing “I would like to thank Mama Safi for being on my toes every time she has information of any child who is not going to school or a case of child labour, early marriage and Female Genital Mutilation,” noted Kinyanjui.

He added: “It is through community policing and doing what is right that we will transform this region.”

He urged women to respect their husbands even after understanding about their right. He noted that education is meant to empower them and propel change in a modest manner.

“We are not saying that after you are empowered you become the head of the family and arrogant to your husbands. Always remember to continue respecting them and internally change their way of thinking through the acquired knowledge in a friendly way,” advised Kinyanjui.

The Laikipia North Peace committee chairman Samuel Lesanta, urged the women to be the reformers that the region needs to transform. “We know that where women are together

many good things happen and as the elite men from this region we are going to support them in their call, and at all times we are going to join them in their efforts,” he reiterated.

His sentiments were echoed by Peter Kilesi, a parliamentary aspirant for the newly created Laikipia North Constituency.

Kilesi applauded the women’s efforts to preach peace during this critical time and also the civic education they have been conducting on the electoral process.

However, he urged the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission to supplement what the women are doing and conduct thorough civic education on the issue.

“This will be a complicated election, considering the number of positions one will be required to fill. In the past it has been difficult for the illiterate and the old to fill the ballot papers that only needed three seats, so we call for empowerment of such initiatives that are on the ground and empowering the voters,” observed Kilesi.

Hope As elections draw near, it is Enyuata Olosho Women’s Group’s hope that the woman’s voice that has always been heard in distress when violence occurs will never heard again and that peace will prevail.

At the same time, the women are making a step forward in making themselves felt in the midst of men who have always been the leaders in every aspect, while women lagged behind threatened by culture at the expense of the rule of law.

9

Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Aspirant in political dilemma over marriage status …By Kabia Matega

A

s the country prepares for an enlarged political space, enemies of discrimination are dangling social issues that may be the undoing for a number of women who are single. Among these are widows, women who have never been married or those who have been divorced or separated.

A top contender for the Narok County women representative seat has found herself squeezed between a rock and hard place over her marriage to a man from outside the county. Her opponents are allegedly using her marriage status to undercut and fight her attempt to vie for the seat which according to the new Constitution is reserved for women only. However, Patricia Parsitau put the records straight that she was born and brought up in the area and any attempt to derail her dream will be resisted to the end.

However, the Constitution in the Bill of Rights and on the Article 27 that looks at Equality and Freedom from Discrimination says in clause 3: “Women and men have the right to equal treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres.”

Discriminate And in clause 4 it states: “The State shall not discriminate directly or indirectly against any person on any ground including race, sex, pregnancy, marital status, health, ethnic or social origin, colour, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, dress, language or birth.”

Parsitau could not hide her anger during an open public debate held in Narok town when a man fielded a question citing the Maasai community culture in line with her eligibility to vie for the women representative seat in the county considering that she was married to a man from the neighbouring Kajiado County.

It was at this juncture a charged

Parsitau explained to a large crowd gathered outside Naivas and Equity Bank in Central Narok town how her opponents in the women representative seat race were using her marriage to Silas Parsitau from the Kajiado County to deny her the democratic right to vie for the seat.

She was born in Rrotian village, central Division of Narok North District where she also attended her basic primary education.

Parsitau painfully she explained how she finally graduated at Moi University with a Bachelor of Education degree amid several retrogressive Maasai cultural obstacles being put on her way.

Education “I was born in Rrotian village in Central Division of Narok North District from where I started my basic education and moved on to graduate at Moi University with a Bachelor of Education degree. I shortly secured a job as a teacher at Narok High School where I taught for five years before I shifted to Action Aid Kenya organization,” explained Parsitau as she fought back tears.

Her moving narrative sparked off a prolonged applause from the crowd in her support as some shouted ‘Patricia mtoto wetu na ni tosha Patricia is our child and she fits)’ repeatedly.

Amid thunderous applause Parsitau said she joined Action Aid Kenya as the organisation’s programme’s officer in-charge of the former larger Narok District and appreciated working in her home district as a way to encourage other Maasai girls to pursue education.

It was during this time that she initiated several community development projects that included schools, water projects as well as building of several nursery schools and employment of early childhood education teachers in the deep rural areas.

She recounted how during her tenure at Action Aid in the district, she helped rescue many underage girls from being subjected to FGM and

early marriage.

“Civic education to Maasai women on their rights as enshrined in the Constitution especially their right to land ownership and education helped change the community’s attitude towards education and today the area has more girls enrolled in local primary schools than boys courtesy of my input through awareness creation,” explained Parsitau.

In anger, she questioned why the locals did not petition her contribution to development activities in the area despite her Ms. Patricia Parsitau (far right) with other political seat aspirants during an open being married to a man debate in Narok town. Below, Parsitau addressing members of a women group in from outside the county.

She added fuel to alone of the slums in Narok Township. Pictures: Kabia Matega ready burning fire when she listed a number of women politicians in the She sealed her tough speech by into sobs as others bitterly queried country who have successively contested for political seats telling the already electrified crowd why she was being treated as a forfrom their paternal homes and won that during her more than 20 years eigner in her home birth district.

The youthful Parsitau could ne in despite being married outside their marriage and working period in the Narok County, together with her stiff competition from among othareas. husband, they have acquired proper- ers Lydia Naneu Masikonte (daughty in the area and this automatically ter of cabinet minister William ole Ntimama), Eunice Marima (wife to “Women like Margaret Kamar, confirms her resident status.

“My husband and I have been former Narok North MP Moses MaJoyce Laboso, Cecile Mbarire and Wavinya Ndeti are among a few who working and living in the county for rima) and Agnes Paraiyo, winner of are today Members of Parliament in more than 20 years but away from, the the 2004 United Nations woman of their respective homes despite but new constitution dictates that one re- the year award winner for her input married outside,” thundered Parsitau quires only six months to become an in the campaign against FGM and early marriage of underage girls in this time triggering more applause area resident,” argued Parsitau.

Some people in the crowd burst the county. from the crowd.

Marriage

Women urged to attend civic education forums …By Yusuf Amin

E

lders from different parts of Kilifi County have vowed to support any organisation that will conduct civic education on peace as the general elections approaches.

The elders from Ganze District led by Karisa Kitola of Ganze Cultural Association said that the local communities must be taught on how to live as brothers and sisters so as to avoid violence such as those experienced after the 2007 general elections.

Kitola further asked non-government organisations to go to the grassroots and work in co-operation with the councils of elders so that they can reach and teach the commu-

nities on peace building through traditional methods such as dance and song as a way of bringing them together.

He also asked civic leaders in Kilifi County to have forums that will bring together different tribes and advise politicians against hate speech. He said hate speech was the major cause of hatred leading to incitement and violence as well as loss of life of innocent Kenyans including displacement of people.

“We should teach our people on how to avoid hate speech when addressing political rallies during the campaigns for the forthcoming general elections,” Kitole said in Ganze town recently.

The sentiments were echoed by Mzee Mangi Mitsanze, spokesman of Kaya Godho-

ma in Vitengerni location, who also asked the local leaders to be visiting the kaya forest to embrace themselves with what goes on there.

Mzee Mitsanze commended women for involving themselves in civic education in the county and urged non-governmental organisations operating in the area to support community projects initiated by women.

These sentiments were echoed by Vidzo Kitsao Nguma, a woman leader, who also appealed to women not to fear visiting kaya shrines. She told them to support each other as well as attend civic education forums to learn more.

“Those aspiring for political positions to cultivate good relationship with their male counterpart to keep peace during the elec-

tioneering period,” she noted.

Nguma announced that the local women leaders planned to launch a peace initiative known as “Amani Nyumbani (peace at home)” to preach peace in the area.

He asked aspirants in Malindi, Magarini, Bahari, Ganze and Kaloleni of various elective positions enshrined in the new Constitution to come together to discuss on how they are going to hold their campaigns peaceful to set example to other counties.

Malindi District Cultural Association secretary Mr Joseph Karisa Randu called on the electorate in Kilifi to come out in large numbers to elect their leaders and urged them to ensure they conducted the exercise peaceful.

10

Issue Number 29 • August 2012

AU chair comes on board with a promise to deliver reforms

…By Kennedy Abwao

H

er refrain has always remained: “I will try to understand what is working well and what is not working well,” ...and that is what Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma, the newlyelected President of the AU Commission, is promising to bring to Africa — reforms.

Hours after promising journalists that she would keep trying until she gets what she deserved, Dlamini-Zuma’s dramatic election on the night of July 15 shuttered the political career of Gabon’s Jean Ping and helped to mend an Africa wide split that appeared set to worsen if an electoral crisis persisted.

“I don’t think it (election) is a major issue that can split the continent. Ultimately, the person who will chair would have to get 60 per cent of the vote to make sure that the person elected has support,” she said.

Triumph A few hours later, Dlamini-Zuma re-emerged in the company of who-is-who in South Africa’s politics as the new chairperson of the AU Commission, announcing her acceptance of the vote outcome.

“It should not be seen as a personal victory, but a victory for Africa in general and for African women in particular,” she said during a news conference, before repeating the same words upon taking oath of office before African leaders in the early morning of July 17.

South Africa’s aggressive push for the position through the 14-member South African Development Community (SADC) helped to galvanise support around Dlamini-Zuma.

Her strong showing in the first round of the vote, 27-24 against the incumbent Jean Ping of Gabon, opened the doors to her resurgence to 29-22, before she wrestled her competitor to the ground at 33-18 in the third round. In the fourth round, when she ran alone, she garnered 37 votes against 14.

Division Dlamini-Zuma gained from divisions within the West African bloc, the split within the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) groups, grouping the Central African region and appeared to put the North African bloc solidly on her back.

East African parted with at least three votes for her, with Uganda appearing openly in her favour while Tanzania, which had earlier agreed to join forces with Kenya against Dlamini-Zuma, appeared to stampede back to her side. The winning ticket appeared to carry on others, including Ni-

geria.

The final election journey for Dlamini-Zuma appeared suddenly urgent, with the African leaders deciding to skip a lavish state dinner, to carry on with the election before midnight.

Born on January 27, 1949 in Kzazu-Natal, Dlamini-Zuma met her future husband, Jacob Zuma while in exile in Swaziland, where she worked as a physician. The two were married in 1972.

Profile At the University of Zululand, she earned her BSc in Zoology and Botany in 1971. According to her profile, she would later enter the University of Natal between 19721976 before moving to the University of Bristol, England where she earned a medical degree in 1978.

The zoologist-turned physician, who surprised everyone with her hard tackle of tough pharmaceutical firms in South Africa to bring cheaper medicine to millions of South Africa’s poor, believes that “no one individual would make a difference”.

A passionate woman rights activist, Dlamini-Zuma, agrees her election by the African heads of state and government had shown ultimately, the AU has taken the lead in placing a woman at its top leadership post.

“The heads of state have elected us to this position…the rest is water under the bridge,” she said when asked how she planned to mend the deep divisions that characterised the campaigns and the elections.

The South African Home Affairs Minister views her great-

Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma addressing a past event. Her victory is seen as a victory for African women – Picture: Courtesy

est challenge to the achievement of the vision of a peaceful Africa more at peace with itself as the AU prepares to mark 50th anniversary next year.

Analysts expect the new leader to put in place policies that would back the realisation of the Solemn Declaration on Women and Gender Equality, the AU platform for tracking reforms that benefit women.

Women form the core of Africans in business, women are agents of peace and have often been seen as the safety modes to a more peaceful continent because of the influence they have on their sons.

Challenge The challenge for the new chairperson is to unleash the potential of African women, in the areas of regional trade, human rights. Giving more meaning to the Solemn Declaration and seeking answers from states on their implementation of the Solemn Declaration would constitute key benchmarks on how to judge Dlamini-Zuma’s first 100 days in office at the heart of Addis Ababa.

In Africa, information on the state of women still remains scattered. The UN has been trying to create a network of African universities to assist Finance Ministers in Africa with the relevant information on what needs to be done to improve the welfare of African girls.

There is a feeling that although the gap between women and men has been diminishing, dealing with sexual violence against women and ending the terrible crisis women in various parts of the continent face constitutes a significant portion of the work that the chairperson faces on her first day at work.

Ability Dlamini-Zuma says as an African woman, she was quite confident of her ability to deliver on peace initiatives.

“We have to work together to benefit African women,” says Dlamini-Zuma, who graduated from the University of Liverpool’s School of Tropical Medicine with a diploma in Tropical child health.

She said as an African woman, she was much capable of unlocking her sensitivities as a woman to the plight of women in conflict.

Dlamini-Zuma entered politics in 1986, rising to become the President of World Conference against Racism in 2001, at which she gained accolades for drafting a set of resolutions calling on worldwide efforts to end suffering and discrimination. As a member of UNAIDS Board, WHO in 1995, she was credited with reforms in South Africa’s health Ministries’ fight against HIV/Aids.

Dlamini-Zuma’s first major national position in South Africa’s politics came with her elevation to the chair of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) Women

League.

Prior to that high-profile political position, she had worked as research technician at the University of Natal, Durban in 1972 and at the Frenchay hospital, England as House Officer, surgery for a year in 1978-1979.

She enjoyed a stint at the Canadian Red Cross. Her very last medical post was in 1990 where she served as Research Scientist, at the Medical Research Scientist, before becoming South Africa’s Health minister in 1991-1994. She became Foreign Minister from 1994-1999.

Student Having entered politics in 1970 as a member of South African Students Organisation, where she became Deputy President in 1976, her role in that political organisation was to see her political mobilisation with the first Soweto student’s riots, which gave rise to the celebrations of Day of the African Child.

It was then that she went to exile in Swaziland, where she worked as a physician and met Zuma.

Dlamini-Zuma is confident about her ability to lead the African Union Council, insisting that as South Africa’s Foreign Minister, she oversaw the process that led to the launching of the AU from the former Organisation of African Unity (OAU), an organisation previously accused of doing little to stem conflict and bad rule.

11

Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

Her victory at the African Union is a victory for African women …By Jane Godia

W

hen she initially expressed interest in capturing the African Union Seat, many people dismissed South African Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

May be it is because she is a woman, or may be it is because she is the former wife of South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma.

Her victory at capturing the African Union chair’s seat did not come on a silver platter.

She fought hard for it and the many rounds of bruising battles are a clear indication that indeed she is a force to reckon with. This can be justified by her rival Jean Ping. He is the one who can clearly say, after experience that it was not easy when in the last round of the more.

Victory The position that she will be occupying is a first for African women and her victory is not only for herself and the people of South Africa, it is also a victory for African women.

Kenyan women will sing songs of praise to her because they saw her as competent even though politics played for the country to support Ping.

A diplomat and doctor, Dlamini-Zuma elected to become the first female head of the African Union (AU) Commission, ending a bruising leadership battle that had threatened to divide and weaken the organisation.

Cheers broke out at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa as supporters a celebrated her victory over the incumbent.

Support Many could not hide saying what they felt was right and the press quoted others like a Zimbabwean delegate saying “We made it!”.

All these emotions were a reflection of the strong support Dlamini-Zuma’s candidacy had received from members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Born on January 27, 1949, Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma is a South African politician and former anti-apartheid activist. She was South Africa’s Minister of Health from 1994 to 1999, under President Nelson Mandela, then Minister of Foreign Affairs from June 17, 1999 to May 10, 2009, under Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Molanthe.

She was moved to the position of Minister of Home Affairs in the Cabinet of President Jacob Zuma, her ex-husband, on May 10, 2009.

During her studies in the early 1970s, Dlamini-Zuma became an active underground member of the (then banned) African National Congress (ANC). At the same time, she was also a member of the South African Students’ Organisation and was elected as its deputy president in 1976.

Exile During the same year Dlamini-Zuma fled into exile. She completed her medical studies at the University of Bristol in 1978. She subsequently worked as a doctor at the Mbabane Government Hospital in Swaziland, where she met her future husband, current ANC party president Jacob Zuma. She would later divorce him in 1998.

In 1985 she returned to the United Kingdom in order to complete a diploma in tropical child health from Liverpool University’s School of Tropical Medicine. After receiving her diploma, she worked for the ANC Regional Health Committee before accepting the position of director of the Health and Refugee

Trust, a British non-governmental organisation.

However, she has been awarded honorary Doctor of Law degrees by both the University of Natal (1995) and the University of Bristol (1996).

She has been president of the ministers’ council for the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development, led a number of peace initiatives to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Lesotho, and many others.

During the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) negotiations in 1992, Dlamini-Zuma was part of the Gender Advisory Committee. After the first all-inclusive South African elections of 1994, she was appointed as Minister of Health in the cabinet of President Nelson Mandela.

During her tenure as Minister of Health she de-segregated the health system and gave poor people access to free basic healthcare. However, an AIDS education play —Sarafina II — she commissioned was criticised by the Public Protector for poor financial controls and poor commissioning procedures. Dlamini-Zuma agreed to shelve the play following the Public Protector’s report. She was also criticised for supporting the anti-AIDS drug, Virodene, which was cheaper than other drugs but rejected by the scientific community as ineffective.

Dlamini-Zuma brought forward the Tobacco Products Control Bill in 1999, which made it illegal for anyone to smoke in public places.

Following the 1999 general election, Nelson Mandela retired as President and was replaced by Thabo Mbeki. Mbeki appointed Dlamini-Zuma as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In her acceptance speech, Dlamini-Zuma reminded the world that as Chief Executive Officer of the African Union, it will not be about South Africa but the continent at large and not about her as a South African but in her individual capacity.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Dlamini-Zuma said her election should not be seen as a personal victory, and she pledged to work to unify the organization.

“My view is that I’m an African citizen.

I am loyal to the African Union, and I will serve the African Union, and I’ll work collectively with every member state,” DlaminiZuma said.

“South Africa is not going to come to Addis Ababa to run the AU. It is Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who is going to come to make a contribution,” she told reporters.

Women These sentiments were echoed by the Africa national Congress women’s league which said in a statement of her victory: “This is not a South African victory or even a (Southern African Development Community) victory, but rather a victory for the women of the African continent who have long suffered under the oppression of colonialism, wars, poverty, and patriarchy.”

Dlamini-Zuma was a long-standing member of the league and had always had a strong focus on women’s empowerment and gender equality.

“Her election as the first woman to hold the most powerful position in the AU speaks volumes for the gains made in fighting patriarchy on the African continent,” the league said.

The ANC said she had distinguished her-

Dr. Dlamini – Zuma smiles after her election to head the African Union. Picture: Courtesy self in every position in which she had served.

“We believe that in her hands, the AU is safe.”

Nation columnist Onyango Obbo praises Dlamini-Zuma victory saying that she gave very good lessons of what one needs to do when they are in a tight competition. He says: “The best of tactics in war is to distract your enemy”.

In the 50 years of its existence the African Union has never thought of encouraging a woman to be at its helm. Dlamini-Zuma’s decision to vie for the position is a victory for Africa. Her appointment will add to the global diplomatic clout of an African state which is already the continent’s largest economy.

Among the people who were voting for her out of the 53 African states only two were women. Liberia’s Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Malawi’s Joyce Banda. May be winning in a room that is dominated by men, it could be that very few noticed that it was a woman winning.

Certain sections of the media quoted Jacob Zuma as having been humbled by her victory. “Our people should take pride that the heads of state and government of the AU have elected Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to the position of the AU commission chairperson,” Zuma said in a statement.

As head of the organisation’s executive arm, she faces immediate challenges as the AU tries to gain United Nations Security Council backing for a military intervention in northern Mali, where local and foreign al Qaeda-linked jihadists seized control after a destabilising coup in the southern capital Bamako.

The Mali crisis, along with an army putsch in Guinea-Bissau and border clashes in April between Sudan and South Sudan have blotted Africa’s advances in recent years towards better governance and stability, accompanied by buoyant growth.

Dlamini-Zuma had to undergo three vot-

ing rounds before Ping, 69, was eliminated.

A final confidence vote of 37 in favour gave her the 60 per cent majority she needed to be elected.

The contest to head the Commission of the 54-member AU had been deadlocked since a previous vote at a January summit ended in stalemate. The impasse had persisted through a summit of AU heads of state held in Addis Ababa at the weekend.

It prompted the AU’s rotating chairperson, Benin President Boni Yayi, to warn African heads of state that failure by the continental body to resolve the leadership deadlock would divide it and undermine its credibility in the world.

“Now we move on to unite the African continent, we unite everybody through Madame Zuma,” Lindiwe Zulu, President Zuma’s advisor on international affairs, told reporters.

“She won, I congratulate her,” Ping told Reuters as he left the AU headquarters among a small crowd of well-wishers.

Dlamini-Zuma would have to first move to reconcile with the Francophone bloc which supported rival Ping.

This also raised the question of how she would handle the proposed military intervention to reunite divided Mali, an initiative led up to now by the mostly French-speaking West African regional grouping ECOWAS, many of whose members had supported Ping’s candidacy.

Fears At a news conference earlier in the day before the vote, Dlamini-Zuma sought to dispel fears that South Africa might seek to use the AU post to try to dominate the continent.

Some smaller countries had argued that her candidacy broke an unwritten rule that Africa’s dominant states should not contest the AU leadership.

Additional information from various news sources

12

Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Kenya’s must honour her unsung heroines …By Musa Radoli

R

ight from the struggle for freedom, hundreds of Kenyan women have fought for the democratic space.

Although they have put the country’s name on the world map, they have not been recognised at home.

The Kenyan women’s struggles and achievements over the decades have not been confined to the struggle for freedom and democratic space but has also covered a wide range of areas like the academia, gender equality and civil rights, Judiciary, Legislature and Executive as well as health, science, sports, agriculture and environment among other spheres.

Feted However, as their male counterparts were being recognised and feted as national heroes with monuments, institutions and streets names, roads among other things, the women heroines have received extremely little of this.

The story of such unfair imbalances in recognition of the nation’s heroines does not just begin and end in the capital city Nairobi. It cuts across all the way from Mombasa, Nyeri, Embu, Machakos, Meru, Isiolo, Garissa, Naivasha, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu and Kakamega among other towns.

Perhaps the only prominent post-independence heroine who has been recognised and public entities named after her is the very first lady in post-independence Kenya, Mama Ngina Kenyatta who has among others Mama Ngina Street in Nairobi and Mama Ngina Drive recreation grounds in Mombasa.

Heroine Otherwise freedom struggle heroines like Mekatilili wa Menza who led the rebellion against British colonists at the Coast remained un-sung for decades until recently when her feats were recognised. Not even the only Kenyan Nobel Peace prize winner, the late Wangari Maathai has been feted.

It was in marking Mashujaa Day in Malindi last year when members of the Kenya National Cultural Council and Malindi District Cultural Association gathered to honour Mekatilili wa Menza.

The elders erected Mekatilili’s statue at Malindi’s Uhuru Gardens and renamed the garden Mekatilili wa Menza Garden in honour of the first African woman to resist British rule. She did this as early as 1913.

During the celebrations, Malindi District Commissioner Arthur Mugira castigated area women leaders for snubbing the celebrations.

Seats ”The new Constitution has given the women free seats in Parliament and at the Senate, but it is only those who will come out that will ascend to those seats,” he said.

There are many other heroines who struggled against the British tyranny whose achievements remain buried to date. Leading these heroines is the wife of the country’s freedom fighter, Dedan Wachiuri Kimathi, Mama Elsie Mukami Kimathi.

Right through the Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Moi regimes, Mukami Kimathi was completely forgotten despite her husband having sacri-

Late Wangari Maathai (left), despite winning a Nobel Prize and championing environmental conservation in Kenya, she is yet to be feted officially. Right, a statue of freedom fighter Mekatili Wa Menza that was unveiled in Malindi town recently. She is the first woman in Kenya to be feted by her local people. Pictures: Kenya Woman Correspondent

ficed his life for the nation.

This state of affairs applies to the wife of Kimathi’s closest friend and comrade in arms, Marête Baimunge and Muthoni Baimunge. Both heroines are still alive to date. These are crowned by the late Wamboi Otieno who died recently un-feted yet she was a tough freedom fighter.

This state of affairs continues to grip the nation with hundreds of post-independence heroines the nation gave birth to not having even a street or a lane name given in their recognition. These include personalities like the widows of the late freedom fighter Tom Mboya, Pamela Mboya, the late JM Kariuki’s widow Doris Nyambura — whatever their husbands achieved, these women were the pillars behind them.

According to Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation (MYWO) chairperson, Rukia Subow this is a very sad state of affairs, because these heroines are the mothers of this nation.

“It is high time that these anomalies are corrected in strict accordance with the provisions of the new constitution and our heroines right from before independence to date are recognised and feted accordingly,” she notes.

Recognition Subow says that as per the Constitution’s stipulations, the achievements in every discipline should also see them getting equal share of recognition with their male counterparts.

“I am talking about national and international heroines like the late Nobel Prize laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai, professionals like Miriam

Were, sports heroines like Catherine Ndereba and Tegla Lorupe as well as political leaders like Grace Ogot, Phoebe Asiyo and Julia Ojiambo among many more,” she says.

Reports from Nyeri indicate that there are plans to honour the late Maathai by naming one of the town’s streets under her name as well as erecting statue in her memory.

Inquiries at City Hall in Nairobi reveal that the city planning committee in collaboration with relevant government departments/ministries and stakeholders are the ones who sit to discuss and determine the naming of the streets, highways, roads and residential estates among other things.

According to Peter Mwangi, a senior planning committee official The committee acts as the main coordinator to rope in the other government departments/ministries and stakeholders to do this, but with the new Constitutional stipulations, this is going to change drastically.

Mwangi says that the Ministry of State for National Heritage at the moment is playing a leading role in implementing the constitutional demands as far as recognition and feting of national heroines and heroes is concerned.

According William ole Ntimama, Minister for State and National Heritage, the new Constitution provides for the Mashujaa Day to be observed on every October 20th, in which we remember Kenya’s national heroes and heroines who contributed to the liberation struggle among other achievements.

“The Government through the ministry has undertaken several initiatives to ensure our national heroes

and heroines are honoured and the role they played remains in the conscience of Kenyans who now enjoy enormous freedoms as a result,” says Ntimama.

Taskforce He adds: “As part of this, the ministry constituted a taskforce in 2007 to carry out a countrywide data collection on the criteria and modalities for identifying, recognising and honouring national heroes and heroines.”

Ntimama observes: In their report the taskforce defined what it considered core values of Kenya’s nationhood and these include patriotism, unity in diversity and mutual social responsibility. The core values became the ground on which to anchor the proposed National Heroes and Heroines Honour System. According to Ntimama, the taskforce identified functional areas with the relevant requisite qualities from which heroes and heroines may be identified.

These include liberation struggle, religious leadership, indigenous knowledge, cultural values and practices, arts; sportsmanship, scholarship, professionals and research, peace building, statesmanship, entrepreneurship and industry as well as philanthropy. A special case for people with disabilities was also proposed.

Respect He says there are several ways of recognising and honouring heroes. These include high respect that should be accorded to national heroes and heroines by the Government and the society at large

by putting up monuments in their honour; writing, publishing and displaying their names as well as histories depicting their works for all to know; naming monuments after them including buildings, stadia, and streets; and popularising their names and acts in many other ways.

Other forms of honour include publishing a National Heroes and Heroines Roll of Honour, providing appropriate security for the heroes and their families, and according them state burials when they die.

“Despite its’ relatively short existence and modest resources, the ministry has successfully implemented a number of these proposals in honour of our national heroes,” notes Ntimama. He observes: “In 2003 the Government lifted the ban on the legal notice which made it possible to recognise and honour the members of the Mau Mau movement.”

Those who have been recognised so far include Mekatilili wa Menza, Mary Nyanjiru, Koitalel arap Samoei, Waiyaki wa Hinga, Muindi Mbingu, Jevanjee Mulla, Markhan Singh, Pio Gama Pinto, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

Also recognized are the Kapenguria six who include Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Paul Ngei, Bildad Kaggia, Achieng’ Oneko, Kungu Karumba and Fred Kubai.

The ministry has constructed mausoleums for the late Paul Ngei, Bildad Kaggia and Achieng Oneko.

Ntimama says that works are in progress for the construction of a mausoleum in honour of Fred Kubai while plans for the construction of a monument for Kungu Karumba in this financial year are underway.

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Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Irony as women exploited over equal work …By Catherine Wahome

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Woman breaks glass ceiling to become administrator

ost farmers, especially those with many acres of land, find it easy to employ casual workers to assist them in

their farms.

Watuka, in Nyeri County, is one of the towns where people own huge tracts of land and practice both dairy and horticultural farming.

For those who practice horticultural farming, one has to employ casual workers.

There is plenty of work to be done in the farms by both men and women. Ironically, despite the fact that men and women perform the same duties, the payment is quite different.

Men are paid KSh200 for four hours work, while women are paid a paltry KSh150 for the same time and duties. They get to the farm from 8 am and work until midday in order to get the pay. However, there is a group that get to the farm at 9am and work up to 1pm.

The Reject sought to know why there are disparities in payments, despite the fact that the work performed is the same.

Michael Wahome, a landowner, says that he cannot explain why he pays differently, since over the years he has been paying men slightly higher than the women.

He says that he found people paying that way and he just joined them in doing so.

Paul Maina, alias Baba Chiru, has worked as a casual worker in the area for over ten years. He states that men are paid higher than women “since a man’s work is perfect compared to the work done by a woman”. He argued that God created man first, meaning that a man is of greater importance than a woman.

“We should never try to equate women to men. A man is an important person, and should be treated with a lot of respect by the community. By giving men the same pay as women, even in the big offices is being disrespectful to men,” noted Maina.

According to Jennifer Wambui Munga, a casual worker, men and women do the same amount of work on the same piece of land, for the same hours but men receive a higher pay due to the clothes they wear.

“Instead of paying for the work an individual has done, men are paid for the trousers they wear but not what they deliver,” observed Munga.

According to Virginia Njeri Ndaba, also a casual worker, the employers view men as being the breadwinners in most families and hence the reason for the higher pay.

“Most women who work in the farms, receive their pay and then wait for their husbands to provide them with basic needs,” explained Ndaba.

Though casual workers are paid that way at Watuka, Kiragu Ngumi pays all his casuals the same amount of money for equal work. According to Ngumi, his workers put in four hours and each one of them — whether man or woman — takes home KSh150.

Ngumi notes that there is no one who is of greater importance than the other. “They perform the same duties and should be treated equally,” he says.

In Kimunyuru, which is a neighbouring town, things are tough for the farmers. Casual workers have demanded a pay increase and for landowners to provide them with food. The casuals want to be paid KSh250 for four hours and be served four cups of tea with sugar and three chapattis per person.

They say that the cost of living has gone up and the pay remains the same. Most farmers in the area are not in a position to meet the demands, thus opting to practice dairy farming and planting wheat, which is a cash crop in the area.

…By Jeff Mwangi

T

he Rendille are a Cushitic speaking ethnic group traditionally living in one of Kenya’s most arid and unforgiving regions: the Kaisut Desert, which is in the North Eastern part of Kenya, bordered on the north by the Chalbi Desert.

They also inhabit the south eastern and southern regions of Mt Marsabit in Marsabit Central District. They are often referred to as “the holders of the stick of God”.

The Rendille are nomadic pastoralists who roam with their camels, goats and most recently cattle, across 16,000 square kilometres of Northern Kenya.

Assistant Chief Charity Kobanai advices a resident of her sub location. She is the first woman from the Rendile community to be appointed a Chief, a post that had been reserved for men only. Pictures: Jeff Mwangi homestead.

With such upheld traditions it is rare to find educated women, let alone a woman leader. Women are submissive to men, and none are allowed to attend meetings.

It is with zeal, respect and a dramatic turn that Charity Kobanai, a former nursery school teacher and a mother of four, became an administrator.

Kobanai is the first female chief in a com-

Villages Women, children, and older men live in semi-permanent villages that are moved only a few times a year and rarely more than a few kilometres.

The Rendille believe that they belong in the desert, not by mistake, but because it is their “promised land”. In their popular morning prayers they pray “your people Wakh (God) cannot climb mountains, cross seas, but remain in this promised land in which you have looked after our fore fathers, us and our children’s children”. Rendilles are confined to the desert because their most treasured livestock, the camel, cannot survive in cold mountains or clay soil environments.

The transition from boyhood to warriorhood is by means of circumcision. A warrior becomes an elder when he marries. A girl becomes a ‘galtaam’ with the onset of puberty.

She wears more beads and a headpiece made of little shiny metal pieces and bead-work.

Marriage A girl becomes a woman by means of “circumcision” (clitoridectomy) at marriage. Girls are married off between the age of nine and 12, in exchange for around 10 heads of camels or cattle.

Women are taken with high esteem in matters household but are not allowed to attend to livestock save for a few who milk camels at the

munity where the place of a woman has remained in the kitchen. She is the chief of Hulahula location, within Marsabit Central District.

When we visited her home near Hulahula Primary School, about six kilometres before Marsabit town, we found Kobanai in the kitchen preparing a meal for her children, with a smile on her face.

She reckoned that she is a mother and wife at home, until she moves out after her family is well tended to.

According to Kobanai, the Rendille did not value women and that it is very rare for a girl to be taken to school. She believes that a woman is as good as a man, if not better, only if she can get education.

“I still face challenges in my line of duty, especially in addressing a men’s gathering and although I have been accepted, you will still find one or two who still undermine women,” notes Kobanai.

Family

“I still face challenges in my line of duty, especially in addressing a men’s gathering and although I have been accepted, you will still find one or two who still undermine women.”

— Charity Kobanai

Her husband, David Murere, says that at home she is a mother and a wife. He adds that her family supports her in all ways, since it is challenging to lead a community whose traditions do not value a woman leader.

“My wife is a role model in the community and especially to all the girls at school,” says Murere.

According to Mzee Michael Nabosu, a Hulahula elder, before Kobanai there had never been a woman chief in the whole of Marsabit.

“Women were responsible for taking care of children, and girls were married off at the age of between nine and 12 years in exchange for livestock,” observes Mzee Nabosu.

However, he applauds the chief saying that she gives advice to the women in the community and has managed to bring them together in groups that even access loans from banks and that this was a positive move to supplement livestock earnings.

14

Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Advocates call for stiffer penalties on those mutilating girls …By Henry Neondo

A

lthough Kenya has outlawed Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), calls to review the Act and impose stiffer penalties on perpetrators have in-

tensified.

Latest to add their voice are the Members of the Dutch Parliament, led by Kathleen Ferrier together with Dutch-based organisations, Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) and the Humanist Institute for Co-operation with Developing Countries (Hivos).

Ferrier sparked the political debate during a meeting with policy makers and parliamentarians in order to heighten the war against FGM and to unmask its inaccuracies.

Legislation Ferrier urged MPs in Europe to scale-up their efforts, stating legislation was not enough and prevention mechanisms and national action plans need to back it up.

“The abandonment of this practice is a process of transformation and cannot be imposed,” she stated.

Ferrier stressed the fruitful cooperation she had with her colleagues during her years as an MP in putting FGM and broader gender issues on the political agenda.

As this was one of her last public meetings in parliament, she used the moment to call on her current colleagues and future MPs to continue the hard work, and formalise the cooperation on gender issues.

these penalties had failed to protect Kenya’s young women.

“They have continued to suffer because the law is too soft. The laws are so unfavourable in the fight against FGM,” she noted.

According to Njeru, the penalties must reflect the Young girls carrying placards calling for an end to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Belo – Long time crime. She noted that many gender activist Magda de Mayer. Her efforts are at last bearing fruits in countries like Kenya. Picture: Kenya victims of FGM suffer a great woman correspondent and lower deal of physical harm and psychological torture, which stays with them for a lifetime.

He furthermore stated to the parliamentarby the practice within the Diaspora communiLong-time activist for gender rights in ties. ians that FGM is not only about Islam; it is a Africa, Magda de Mayer, the former Belgian The European Parliament estimates that mechanism of control for authoritarian patriMP and Deputy Head of AWEPA Belgium, today 500,000 girls and women living in Eu- archal societies. claimed three million girls are at risk each year rope are suffering from the consequences of Thomas O’Keeffe, the First-Secretary at the in Africa. In some countries, such as Burkina FGM. US Embassy in The Hague, commented on US Faso, 75 per cent of women between the ages According to Thomas von der Osten-Sack- efforts on the issue. He stressed that the abanof 15-49 have suffered mutilation. en, Director of WADI, a German/Iraqi partner donment of this practice is a process of social of Hivos, recently published findings of the change and will take time.

He further stated that social change reprevalence of FGM in the Middle-East, speAfter attending AWEPA organised sensi- cifically in Iraq. quires going from village to village, and, theretisation workshops in the country, de Mayer He notes that in these societies FGM is still fore, we need to know more. expressed the political will of MPs in Burkina very much a taboo, as men didn’t know that “We need a database to find where it hapFaso to stop this practice, stating that “many their daughters were mutilated. pens, a census, a tailored method for each men and women MPs are speaking out against context we are working in. We need to find the practice, and, as European MPs, we have alternative income generation for excises. We an obligation to support them in this”.

“The fight against FGM is not solely about need resources, both diplomatic and financial.

Although FGM is high in Kenya and the this piece of flesh but a fight about how we Above all, we need brave people to go from Horn of Africa, including the Sahel countries, define female sexuality in a society,” observed door to door to have these conversations in many Western countries are directly affected von der Osten-Sacken. communities where it occurs,” he said.

Practice

Flesh

Tradition

Gender The MPs present responded positively to this call and agreed to keep gender issues on the political agenda.

Karimi Njeru, a lawyer and member of the Law Society of Kenya, believes the existing rules are not enough to curb the spread of the out-dated practice.

Currently, anyone convicted of practising FGM could be imprisoned for six months or ordered to pay Sh50,000 ($585), but Njeru affirmed

“The abandonment of this practice is a process of transformation and cannot be imposed,” — Kathleen Ferrier Picture: Courtesy

Hundreds of young girls worldwide suffer from the brutal practice of FGM, a tradition which goes against the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In Africa, it is estimated that more than 90 million girls from 10 years of age and above have undergone FGM. Recent studies show that it is also practiced in the majority of Middle Eastern countries, but enough data from this region is lacking.

Proper data collection is vital to addressing the problem in the future.

Iron pills may be the remedy for fatigue in women …By Henry Owino

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enstruation is known to lower iron levels in women who are in reproductive age forcing most women to feel exhausted when they are going through the period.

Iron deficiency may be a recognised cause of fatigue in women of child-bearing age. For women with unexplained prolonged fatigue, iron deficiency should be considered a serious matter.

Fatigue Iron supplements may now be the remedy for fatigue in women of reproductive age. According to a recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, iron supplements may help those with moderately low iron levels and perhaps the remedy for fatigue in women of reproductive age.

The study looked at 200 women

aged between 18 and 53 to be able to realise the intended results.

The report noted that women lose three tablespoons of blood equivalent to 45ml of blood during menstruation yet it is the blood that contains iron that is responsible for boosting energy level.

Severe shortage of iron is the most common cause of anaemia resulting in lethargy, weakness and feeling faint. Research has established that iron deficiency is a leading cause of anaemia.

According Dr Ben Opiyo, a gynaecologist at the Matter Hospital in Nairobi, heavy menstrual flow is a major cause of low levels of iron in women of reproductive age.

Opiyo attributes the feeling of tiredness in women during menstruation to low iron levels. He further argues that the red blood cells can’t carry enough oxygen to the body hence women often feel very tired.

“This may cause full or partial anaemia due to the amount of iron lost every month during the period,” says Opiyo.

Women sometimes are advised to take iron supplements to make up for iron lost in heavy menstrual periods.

“Prescribing iron supplements may help boost haemoglobin in women if they are not officially anaemic,” notes Opiyo. He adds: “This will help women with the fatigue.”

However, ironically, according to the British Diabetic Association taking too much iron, can lead to organ failure hence it is also very dangerous.

Food A nurse at Meridian Equator Hospital recommends eating natural food to boost iron deficiency.

“If a patient has low iron, we prescribe iron supplements, however if one can make up for the iron

deficiency from natural foods, the better,” she states.

Natural iron can be obtained by eating foods and vegetables such as liver, meat, fish, lamb, chicken, spinach, broccoli, managu, murenda, kale, beans, lentils and peas.

Noel Akinyi attests to the fatigue some women experience during menses.

“My flow is very heavy and can be on for one to two weeks. I usually experience fatigue and dizziness,” explains Akinyi, a mother of two.

She says her doctor diagnosed mild anaemia when she was in a high school, something that surprised her.

“My haemoglobin level is usually very low — 10 — the highest I have ever attained is 13. I usually use iron supplements to make up for the iron deficiency in my blood,” explains Akinyi.

Haemoglobin is the protein molecule in iron that carries oxygen

from the lungs to the body’s tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs. Normal haemoglobin level is between 12 and 16.

Akinyi has been on and off iron supplement since she started her menses 14 years ago.

Disorder Some of the iron supplements available are ranferon, folic Acid, ferrous sulphate and ferrolic. Iron is also used for improving athletic performance and treating attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and canker sores.

According to information posted on Medline Plus website, some people also use iron for depression, fatigue and the inability to get pregnant.

The bottom line is that too much of something is poisonous to the body therefore use it when you only need to.

15

Issue Number 29 • August 2012

Investing in women in Africa is smart economics …By Angela Machonesa

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omen stand at a cross road between production and reproduction, between economic activity and the care of human beings, and therefore between economic growth and human development. Yet although women account for more than half of the potential talent base throughout the world, as a group they have been marginalised and their economic, social and environmental contributions go in large part unrecognised.

Donor While there is increasing donor recognition of rural women’s contribution to eradicating poverty and hunger and to overall well-being in rural households and communities, there remains a lack of data on the actual impact of aid on rural women’s empowerment and gender equality. Movement towards such objectives are often translated into monitoring and evaluation indicators that assess “progress” by numbers of rural women participating in particular interventions rather than the quality of those interventions and the broader impacts on rural women.

There is an urgent need to invest in rural women and to develop more comprehensive and nuanced metrics and related measurement systems to assess the different impacts of agriculture and rural development policies and programmes, together with contributing aid allocations, on rural women and men.

Women in Africa are still shouldering household economic burdens.

They are farmers left behind to mind farm and family by migrant husbands who sometimes do, and sometimes do not, send remittances back home.

They are abandoned wives, young widows, unwed mothers and refugee women with children to nurture.

Women face many obstacles to increasing their economic power: no “slack” time to invest in additional work that could bring in needed income; lack of access to commercial credit; and training in traditionally

female — and mostly low-wage skills.

These obstacles differentiate the work experiences of men and women, exacerbate women’s poverty, and sustain a vicious cycle of impoverishment from one generation to the next.

On every side, speechless women endure endless hardship, grief and pain in a world system that creates billions of losers for every handful of winners.

Renowned development commentator Barbara Kalima writes that globalisation has had negative consequences for women and children worldwide. The corruption within the global market has seen numerous dictators and military regimes in developing countries bought out by Western multinational corporations. Locals are repressed and corporations as well as the ruling elite become fabulously rich.

When the economies of such countries collapse and the governments are overthrown, massive debts are accrued.

Debts Bailing of the debts comes with strict restrictions on social expenditure which usually marginalises women at all levels.

Reduced incomes mean women, as providers for the household, have to exert extra effort to sustain the family. Higher prices, especially those of food and essential services, compound their tasks. Reduced availability of health services — and the consequent impact on nutrition — impacts most strongly on women and their children.

Opportunities for women to diversify their roles within the economy have also remained limited. The fact that women remain confined to the care economy, to which an economic value is rarely attached, has resulted in their exclusion from the benefits of national economic strategies. While several countries have created constitutions which incorporate gender equality as a human rights issue, the presence of neo-liberal policies continues to undermine efforts to make gender equality a reality.

A 2011 UN Women study to assess progress made in achieving the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), found that rural women and girls still face persistent structural constraints that prevent them from enjoying economic freedom.

Less than $8 is spent on healthcare in Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi compared with $24 per person on debt repayments. Uganda spends $3 per person annually on health and the same amount on education but $17 per person annually on debt repayment, while five of every 10 Ugandan children die of preventable diseases before they reach age five.

Water While these numbers are startling, equally important is that girls in rural Malawi spend three times more time than boys fetching wood and water.

Collectively, women and children in sub-Saharan Africa spend about 40 billion hours a year hauling water.

However, this poverty gap between men and women is not inevitable. Ending women’s poverty and providing better economic oppor-

African women plays active role in the economic mainstay of families through farming. This calls for the need to invest in rural women to help boost economics of the countries in the continent.

Picture: Kenya woman correspondent

tunities for all women will require specific policy actions. Debt negotiations ought to consider the link between debt and budgeting for social services. All reviews of poverty reduction strategies need to be gender disaggregated.

Past mistakes must be avoided and governments should develop clear guidelines as to how loans will benefit men, women and children. As a new measure, citizens need to become the mechanism to control new resources and governments should only obtain loans that are sanctioned by the people through their representatives (parliamentarians) and allowing civil society to monitor them. The best policy solutions to address women’s poverty must combine a range of decent employment opportunities with a network of social services that support healthy families, such as quality health care, child care and housing

support. Policy objectives must also recognise the multiple barriers to economic security women face based on their race, ethnicity, immigration status, sexuality, physical ability and health status.

Status These approaches must promote the equal social and economic status of all women by expanding their opportunities to balance work and family life.

To this end, women’s equality stops simply being the right thing to do, it becomes smart economics.

Angela Machonesa is Information and Communications Officer at African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD). This article is part of the Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service, bringing you fresh views on everyday news.

Susan Kajura Mugizi: Moulding children is her joy

…By a correspondent “I have dedicated my life to supporting grassroots communities improve on the quality of their life through collaborative development activities,” says Susan Kajura Mugizi.

Mugizi returned to Uganda after many years of political exile and straight away got in its reconstruction. At that time Uganda was facing many challenges and leading among them were issues of peace building and the HIV epidemic.

Action To address these, the country’s leadership responded by creating space for dialogue and action both politically and otherwise. For the individual, this meant recognising, utilising and expanding on the available opportunities.

Ugandans responded individually, collectively and emotionally in a manner that sometimes surpassed structured government, and non-government approaches.

This is how Mugizi made her own small contribution towards a new Uganda and made contribution in areas of areas of mitigating the impact of HIV/Aids in Uganda.

“I was privileged to be working with children. They are our future, and the HIV statistics of the time made them part of the Aids- free set that would finally be safe from the effects of the scourge, but only if we empowered them to be so. This meant communicating with, guiding and supporting them through approaches they understand,” she says during an interview in Kampala.

Mugizi has worked extensively with communities and civil society organisations in developing and implementing HIV and Aids programmes to strengthen ability of local communities to meet the needs of the children affected and infected by HIV/Aids.

Among her many accomplishments, Mugizi implemented one of the most successful community based projects that resulted in the improvement of the quality of care services to more than 70,000 vulnerable children and their households.

Skills The programme ensured that households headed by the elderly or orphaned children received new housing in, access to clean and safe water was increased and women were given

skill to construct water tanks to save them from walking long distances and spending longer hours fetching water.

Children out of school received vocation skills so that they can be able to earn a living and meet their basic needs, women affected or infected by HIV/Aids were organised into savings clubs and were taught how to save.

“The savings gave many an opportunity to meet the basic needs of their households and many women were in position to make financial decisions while others started income generating activities,” she adds.

Guidance Mugizi says that she provided guidance for the implementation and monitoring of the OVC National Strategic Plan initiated by the Ugandan government ministry responsible for child and most children have grown up and have started their own lives.

Mugizi is a career woman, a wife, a mother and renowned writer. As a mother Susan has four children. She believes in empowering children so they can have a voice.

She has used her writing to communicate with children and has in the past written many

books including Amoti’s Bad Idea, Adventures of Tema and in 2002; she was awarded the MacMillan African Writers Prize as the Most Promising New Children's Writer for her novel Daudi's Dream.

Through the Adventures of Tema which was published weekly in the New Vision for more than 7 years, Susan touched the lives of different children by the character she created in this series.

“I created a fictionalised character called Tema, a strong Moslem girl -child whose adventures inspired, built character, and taught tolerance. Being a Moslem girl was a double marginalisation in Ugandan society,” she adds.

Combining her career, her gender roles and her interests, Mugizi has touched many lives and continues to do so.

16

Issue Number 23 • November 2011

Moroccan women build land rights movement One woman’s fight against ancient tribal laws that favour men has inspired thousands more.

…By Stacy Wheeler

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hen Rkia Bellot’s family sold their communal land in 2004, each of her eight brothers received a share of the proceeds.

However, Bellot, a single woman, got nothing.

That’s because Bellot’s family land was part of the 37 million acres in Morocco governed by the orf, or tribal law. When this type of family land is sold, the unmarried or widowed women in the family, collectively called the Soulaliyate, often become destitute.

Bellot, now 66, wanted a better life for herself, and launched a campaign against the practice with the help of a national non-governmental organisation. Her fight to win ownership rights for women has emboldened fellow Soulaliyate to take on Morocco’s male-dominated judicial system and ancient traditions.

However, the going can be tough for the millions of Moroccan women affected — in the face of little education, no skills and the ill will of the family.

Position “Morocco finds itself in a very contradictory position,” Bellot said. “On one hand the kingdom has signed all of the international conventions that call for men and women’s equality. And, on the other hand, we still encounter cases like this where women have no right to their own land.”

The imbalance was particularly acute for Bellot, who had supported her entire family since age 20, when her father died. Yet her brothers gave her nothing from the sale, saying their hands were tied under tribal law.

Bellot’s hometown is Kenitra, a port city 25 miles north of the capital of Rabat. After the land sale, the men in her family built nice houses for themselves and their immediate families.

Their single female relatives, newly homeless, were relegated to a large shantytown on the periphery of Kenitra. Those homes, built mostly of mud and reeds with corrugated metal roofs held down by cinderblocks, were unstable. One spring, several collapsed during heavy rains. Today, the shantytown in Kenitra has been cleaned up, but women still face opposition when lobbying for property rights.

A new struggle The troubles of Aziza Innouch, also part of the Soulaliyate, began with the death of her father last year in Ain Cheggag, a village 16 miles outside of Fez. A widow with three children, Innouch had lived on the property her entire life, but when she asked her brother for her share of the land, he denied her request.

The family land is fertile, and Innouch, who lives in a two-room cement home she purchased from her parents, says she hoped to sell her portion to provide for her children and herself. However, without the land, she was forced to take any

work she could find around the village, usually weeding and picking crops in a neighbouring family’s fields. The work is hard, and hard to find since most farmers prefer younger women to pick crops.

Innouch and other women from the tribe, some of whom have rePart of the land in Morocco. Like other African ceived death threats or countries women have difficulties inheriting land. even been put in jail for Below Rkia Bellots, the champion of the campaign demanding rights to their against the practice of denying women their land land, have tried taking rights. Pictures: Stacy Wheeler their case before the town council, but all their written requests have been presented a challenge. ignored. When they go to “Most of the women are ilconfront the caid, or village chief, in person, they literate so these communication say the response is not much better.

“The caid uses big words and then we can’t tools had to be adjusted to each understand what he’s talking about,” Innouch case,” said Khadija Ouelammou, who is in charge of handling all explained.

Innouch believed she might have more suc- Soulaliyate issues at the ADFM’s cess by appealing to the Moroccan court, but in Rabat office.

Although they provide conApril, on the day she was supposed to present before a judge in Fez, her brother arrived at the siderable support for the womhearing with a document stating that Innouch en, the ADFM makes it clear they are not speaking for the violently beat their mother.

The court said that the document, which had women, nor will they do all the work. In each been signed by a local doctor, was grounds for im- village, they identify one Soulaliyate woman prisoning Innouch. However, her brother agreed who can act as a liaison between the ADFM to drop the assault charge if she would also drop and the community, and they leave most of the organising to the local leader. her case demanding land inheritance, so she did.

Bellot organised a protest of 500 women in front of Parliament in 2007. Finally, three years Bellot says that she had a similarly frustrat- later, she saw results when the Ministry of the ing response when she approached tribal lead- Interior issued a circular — a government order — that instructed tribal leaders to recognise the ers years ago.

“They would say, ‘Well, we can’t do anything, rights of Soulaliyate women to receive money it’s the tribal law.’ I researched until I was 100 per- when their family’s communal lands were sold. cent sure that this was just a brazen injustice.”

Bellot sought help from a lawyer in Rabat, Bellot and her colleagues’ successes have but he told her that chances of success through the legal system were slim. So, along with a small drawn international attention. On a recent visit group of women from Kenitra, Bellot sought help to Morocco, Michelle Bachelet, Executive Dielsewhere — from the Democratic Association rector of the UN Women, delivered a special of Moroccan Women (ADFM), a national NGO address to the Soulaliyate women.

“You, the Soulaliyates, succeeded in mothat advocates for the advancement of women’s bilising the media and public opinion against human rights throughout Morocco.

The ADFM adopted Bellot’s cause and be- the violation of your rights. I congratulate you gan training the women from Kenitra in civic for obtaining official recognition of women’s leadership and public speaking. In addition, the rights,” said Bachelet.

Learning the language ADFM covered the cost of transportation so But according to many Soulaliyate women that the Soulaliyate women could afford the 50 Dh (about $7) trip to Rabat to participate in sit- like Innouch, there is still much more to be ins and demonstrations in front of Parliament. done. Many communities have ignored the cirAs the ADFM learned the extent of the Soulali- cular from the Department of the Interior that yate land problem, they expanded their efforts instructed tribal leaders to compensate women when land is sold. to include women from all areas of Morocco.

Innouch she refuses to stop working until her However, in a country where illiteracy rates among rural women is over 80 percent, this often story is heard and she receives her share of the

Frustrations

Success

communal land. She has been in contact with the ADFM and says she is starting to learn the words she needs to confront the village chief.

In the next months, she plans to start a local association that can organise local Soulaliyate women to meet with the tribal council and secure inheritance rights for themselves in the village.

The solution, says Bellot, will not come without political will from the government. She supports the ADFM’s petition for a nationwide law — more compelling than the 2005 letter or 2007 circular — to guarantee that Soulaliyate women have inheritance rights to communal land.

The law would allow Soulaliyate women who live on communal lands to have equal access to communal property, along with the right to farm the land or otherwise use it for private means, and to receive fair compensation when communal lands are sold.

Hope Bellot will not stop until the government acts, but she sees some ray of hope. For one thing, in Ain Chekaf, a small community just outside of Fez, a local NGO says that the community has adjusted to life without the tribal law fairly seamlessly.

What led the Soulaliyate women in Ain Chekaf to protest for their right to own land?

They say they heard the story of Rkia Bellot.

—With reporting assistance from Oumaima Azzelzouli.

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