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{
    "id": 674479,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/674479/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 282,
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    "content": "Secondly, we borrow a lot from the West. For instance, the Americans over 200 years ago had relegated women to work only as nurses. However, they realised that that was a disservice to humanity and they empowered their women to become sailors to work in the navy and to become doctors, engineers and lawyers from the 18th Century up to now. We are almost approaching a situation where the Americans may deem it fit to have a woman president. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the arguments on why we might allow our women to challenge their male counterparts in elections are shortsighted considering the circumstances of the African heritage where women have been given challenging jobs considering the African setup. Now, in the 21st Century, it is not a big requirement to allow women to feel what they are entitled to by the Constitution. We have seen prominent professors, doctors and engineers and that is not enough but it is just a drop in the sea. I have heard the good professor say that the women of Kenya are forcing people but they are not forcing anybody. What they are asking for is what they are entitled to by the Constitution. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have made some progress in the country. We have women pilots and those on the frontline in the war against the Al Shabaab in Somalia but that is not enough. What does it cost the Senate to have more Senators to comply with the constitutional requirement? These are the issues Sen. Sijeny is raising. In her Bill, she has gone further to say that we should have a sunset Clause. The Bill proposes Articles 97(1)(c) and 98(1)(b) which provides for a sunset Clause so that affirmative actions on gender representation will be reviewed 20 years down the line. That is not a very long period of time considering how far we have gone with this constitutional requirement. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, my good friend, the Senator for Homa Bay, spoke about the challenges women undergo. They do not have all the freedoms men have and there are challenges which they go through during the campaigns. We know what we go through and there are timelines of doing very many things. For instance, if a woman is married and she has siblings, their male colleagues will be asking them where they are. That is an African setup which we support. However, there is a reason we need to support this Bill, so that we realign ourselves to the Constitution. The good professor from West Pokot was talking about the British who, for instance, consider themselves as “sybarites.” They have never been colonized and these are things they have learned in centuries; to give authority and powers to those who can grow to their highest level. They are neither challenged nor vetted. In this country, we have seen what those who have dared to dream to be presidents of this country undergo. We have Ms. Charity Ngilu and Ms. Martha Karua, among others. They get challenges especially in terms of raising funds for their support. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have women who have been elected but they are not enough as per the constitutional regulations. That is why I support this Bill as brought by Sen. Sijeny that we should comply with the Constitution. After we have complied, then other issues of who has done what and what their positions are could follow. Finally, Sen. Sijeny has stated that to ensure that the enactment of this Bill does not affect the composition of the 11th Parliament, the Bill expressly provides that the post provisions shall apply to the general elections following the coming into force of this Act. 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"
}