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{
    "id": 858390,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/858390/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 422,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "North Horr, FAP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Chachu Ganya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 18,
        "legal_name": "Francis Chachu Ganya",
        "slug": "francis-ganya"
    },
    "content": " Thank you Hon. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to support this very important Bill. It is a landmark Bill that will ensure gender equality in our nation is realised. The framers of our Constitution, I happen to be one of them, surely had a reason to ensure that we have the constitutional provision to enhance gender equality in our country: the two-thirds gender rule. This constitutional provision is not a favour we are doing to our women. It is actually a constitutional mandate or obligation on our shoulders as parliamentarians. It has taken us a while to pass this Bill which is actually a shame. This is the right time and moment when we should stand up and ensure we play our constitutional obligation of enacting this legislation as the august House of the 12th Parliament. This constitutional provision is there for specific purpose and for a specific period with a clear sunset clause of 20 years but with a provision that it can be extended if necessary by Parliament. This Bill ensures that with time our women will compete with men in subsequent elections. I have been in this House since the 10th Parliament and I have seen more women being elected to Parliament. This trend will continue and maybe 20 years from now, it may not be necessary for us to have women nominated to Parliament. But for this particular time in our history, it is very important we pass this Bill and ensure we attain the two-thirds gender rule. This provision is even more important and critical for some of our societies, which still have conservative cultures where leadership is seen as a preserve for men. It is not very easy for women to be elected in some of our societies due to some inhibiting cultural reasons. Our cultures are yet to appreciate that women could be better leaders than men. If I may give an example of my own constituency of North Horr, since it was established in 1988, only one lady was elected by default. I say she was elected by default because at that time councillors had to go with the people who were nominating him or her to the constituency headquarters for nomination. The only competitor was not able to make it to the station in good time and she became the sole nominee and was declared elected unopposed."
}