New wave of female leaders in Kenya

In Kenya’s elections this month, more women won parliamentary seats than ever before. According to the Nation Gender and Equality Commission, 30 female MPS were elected, up from 23 in 2017, 7 female governors, up from 3 in 2017, and 3 female senators.

The country’s constitution requires that no more than two-thirds of their MPs should be, however, this has not been fully implemented since it came into effect a decade ago. Only 12% of women ran in elections earlier this month. In May, the electoral body called for political parties to comply with gender quotas in this year’s poll. Though Kenya has far fewer female parliamentarians than other countries in the region, over the past few years there has been a push for gender equality.

Kenya is “now seeing the first gains for affirmative action,” said Njoki Wamai, assistant professor in politics and international relations at United States International University-Africa. “The electorate has seen more women in leadership, and it has brought a bit of a shift in the patriarchal mindsets that did not appreciate women as leaders.”

There are other barriers for women in politics in Kenya. Many do not have the resources or networks to run a full campaign. According to reports, the average spend for an MP seat is 18m Kenyan shillings (£127,000). Reports have also found that as the representation of women grows, so does the backlash against them.

Community organisations are working hard to help build support for female leaders. Bina Maseno, executive director of the non-profit Badili Africa said: “Investments have to be made both ways…that is where we are still struggling as a country, because we invest a lot in leadership, which is good, but we have a very weak ‘follower-ship’.”

Image from The Guardian