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{
    "id": 858430,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/858430/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 462,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suna East, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Junet Nuh",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2840,
        "legal_name": "Junet Sheikh Nuh",
        "slug": "junet-sheikh-nuh"
    },
    "content": "“Thomases” but on the way I got convinced that this is a very important issue. Indeed, we must come together as a House and as leaders to make sure that our country achieves this gender parity that it has been longing to achieve. When the new Constitution was passed in 2010, many people viewed some part of that Constitution to be more of an activist Constitution that put in place some issues that may not be achievable. One of the examples that was being given is this particular one of two-third gender rule. At one time in the 11th Parliament, I remember asking where this kind of law is in the world. Which country has this kind of provision in their constitution? Even the United States of America, which dictates terms for people in the world as the best democracy, the best governed country and the police of the world, does not have provisions of this nature in their constitution. Actually, as you said, it is the Democratic Party that is encouraging women to vie in big numbers and come to the House. So, when people will talk about best practices very soon in the world, this will be one of the best practices that will be copied from our country that we can export to other countries that you must apply the law to bring equity in your people. This issue is important because women have proved to be good leaders over a period of time. Many women leaders have proved to provide good results. Once they are given an opportunity, say, in form of affirmative action and they prove that they can do what men can do, then they stand higher chances to be elected in subsequent elections. It has been said here that there are people who create party lists. I want my chairman to hear this because he is the one who does that. He is saying that if we expand this list by nominating more women… They have said here that political parties normally bring here their girlfriends and concubines. When I looked at the anatomy or the issue, probably, it is only women who qualify to be concubines and girlfriends unless you are gay. So, if somebody has brought his concubine here, so be it. She was qualified because she is a woman and she is a girlfriend. So, she has both qualifications and now we cannot do anything about it. My leader can expound on that more if anything of that nature happens because he is the chairman of the party. This matter should not be trivialised that if we bring women here, we are bringing slay queens and girlfriends. That is beside the point. There are women leaders here who, when they speak, all men listen to them. Having been a Whip, now for a period of one year, I can testify here on the Floor of this House that women Members of Parliament are more reliable than my colleagues, male Members of Parliament. When an issue is discussed and agreed upon either at the party level or at any caucus, women leaders stick to what has been agreed. However, men start loitering and talking a lot as though they think they own the world. This matter is timely. It is important to our country. It is the only thing that will be remembered with this Parliament. The major achievement that the 12th Parliament can achieve and the legacy that you are going to leave behind as the Speaker of the 12th Parliament is to make sure that this Bill is passed so that in 2022, we have proper representation of both genders in this House. People talk about issues of cost. You read in the newspapers about what Members of Parliament earn. It is only the salaries and remuneration of Members of Parliament that are discussed in public. You will never hear the salaries and remuneration of other State officers like Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries discussed in public. We do not know how much a Cabinet Secretary earns, how many cars he has, how many girlfriends he has or how much Principal Secretaries earn. It is only the salaries of MPs that are discussed all the time. That is an attack on the integrity of this House. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}