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{
    "id": 600633,
    "url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/600633/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 206,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "content": "challenges are not unique to Kenyan women. Some of the challenges that are common include limited resources, cultural attitudes, religious beliefs and inhibitions and a patriarchal society that is not excited with the issue of women leadership perpetuated by socio-cultural beliefs. Having known that we are in a situation akin to others who have overcome the challenges, we decided to adopt various strategies to help address these challenges. One of the strategies was to form strategic partnerships with like minded individuals and institutions. Here in the Senate, we decided to get an entry point through which we could have this issue addressed at the IPU. Knowing that the Speaker of the Senate is a Member of the IPU, we roped him in as a strategic partner to take this issue to that international platform because we wanted to get what they feel and think about the crisis in Kenya and the way forward. For those who might not be aware, the IPU is an international organisation of national parliaments. Of course, Kenya is an active member. The organisation provides support to parliaments such as our own in areas such as law and policy making as well as representation. The IPU support is based on global human rights standards, gender equality, democratic principles of representation, openness, accessibility, transparency and efficiency. In fact, gender equality in politics is enshrined in the IPU’s Universal Declaration on Democracy which was adopted by its member parliaments in 1997. Kenya is a signatory. On that platform, the IPU makes a direct link between women representation on one hand and public participation in public affairs linking it directly to democracy. They are very firm on that. In fact, without adequate women representation, a country cannot boast or talk of having a democratic process. So, based on that encouragement, we thought it was a good platform to make reference to. Through our Speaker, our issue was presented to the IPU. Based on this extensive mandate of the IPU, the Speaker of the Senate requested the IPU to form a delegation of experts in women’s participation in order to provide guidance and advice on the way forward in implementing the Kenya constitutional provision on the two-thirds gender role enshrined in Article 81(b) of the Constitution. It was requested that the mission take place in conjunction with ongoing debate that was all over Kenya at that time on the best way forward. At that point, we were battling with all manner of proposals on this gender issue. Some were even advocating for the scrapping of certain seats which were already a gain enshrined in the Constitution. They did this to give us ways and means to put the Constitution into effect. Parliament has continued to play a critical role. Parliament is the institution that has been tasked by the Constitution with crafting the framework of implementation on the gender quota. The gender quota had a deadline before or on 27th August, 2015, before the extension. Time is running fast. The situation in Kenya is very pathetic. Kenya stands at No.70 in the IPU’s global ranking in terms of women’s participation in either lower single House of National Parliament or in the Senate. We are ranked far below all our neighboring countries. It is a very interesting scenario that even a small country as Rwanda, that about 20 years ago was in a situation of war, is now ranked first globally with 64 per cent of women The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}