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"speaker_name": "Ms. Ndung'u",
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"legal_name": "Susanna Njoki Ndung'u",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would have hoped the Minister would have audited our performance in terms of gender a little bit more analytically, across all Government institutions. I was very pleased to hear the President, in his speech, reaffirm and confirm that, from now on, one-third of the appointments in the Public Service will go to women. However, this document appears to be silent on the issues affecting gender in the institutions of Government, which include the Judiciary and Parliament. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the role of Parliament is to legislate and effect Government policy. If it is the Government's position that there needs to be enhanced representation of women, it is something that this Parliament must take seriously. After the Referendum last year, it was incumbent upon this Parliament to get together and look at what we really needed to do with regard to issues affecting gender in the Constitution. There was a very important issue about women and citizenship, where women and men, as different genders, have different access to citizenship in this country. We also needed to look at the issue of representation of women in this august House. This Parliament needs to pull up its socks and start to dedicate some of its time towards legislation that will be directed at the challenges of gender-based violence. It is time that we brought an Act of Parliament to deal with domestic violence. It is time that we brought an Act of Parliament to deal with the issues of maternity, both at the workplace and even in public hospitals. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we also need to take care of the benefits of those young men and women. As we take care of issues regarding women in the subject of gender, we should address the challenges that young men are facing. I am convinced that, in this country, masculinity is facing a crisis. The fact that we are encouraging women and girls to move away October 26, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3203 from their traditional roles, we should also assist our younger men to identify their new roles in a modern society. I would like the Minister, as he implements the policy in this Sessional Paper, to take a good look at the institution of Parliament. With regard to the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), we need to ask the institution to table a report in this House; a Bill on gender issues, which we need to talk about. For example, none of the Committees in this House have a woman chairperson. There is no woman who sits in the PSC, neither is there a woman who sits on the Chairman's Panel. Therefore, we cannot have a woman as a Temporary Deputy Speaker. Parliament, being a Government institution, needs to have a sexual harassment policy which affects both hon. Members and staff. We need to make sure that we have a maternity policy that does not punish hon. Members who go on maternity leave, by depriving them of their allowances. The other issue which we would like to see the PSC communicating to us about is the hiring of women among the parliamentary staff. How are we hiring and at what ranks? How many women are we promoting and at what ranks? The issue of public service appointments also includes parliamentary appointments. I have said before that the sitting arrangement in this House is not gender- friendly. There is frustration of women hon. Members when they have to leave their handbags at the door. I plead with the PSC and the Standing Orders Committee to ensure that the gender issues I have raised are considered during the revision of the Standing Orders, which is ongoing. With those few remarks, I support the adoption of this Sessional Paper."
}