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{
    "id": 859571,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/859571/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 148,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 434,
        "legal_name": "James Nyikal",
        "slug": "james-nyikal"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to support the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment Bill) 2018. The first point I would like to raise is that this is not a women’s Bill as it has been portrayed. This is a gender Bill where we are seeking, at the highest level of Government, to put a legal framework that will guide the relationship between the two genders in the management of the affairs of our nation. I think that is the issue. It just happens that we are calling it a women’s Bill because in Kenya today the proportion of women in governance is lower. It is possible that in future the men’s proportion will be lower. If we put in place a framework to guide that, then we would not need to be worried. Looking at the issue of the girl-child and the boy-child and considering the current trend, it is quite possible that in the very near future, men may have to do with affirmative action. So, if we put this in place now, when we get to that point in future, we will not have to worry about it. Even if we were to look at it as a women’s Bill, women are half the population of this country. I do not see an institution that will take half of its work force and state that they will not participate in the management of that institution! It is, therefore, reasonable that we, all of us, come together. The old cultural relationship where we had roles for each gender has changed. We cannot be living in a world where we get information from, say, London on our mobile phones and then think we can relate with our womenfolk the way our grandfathers related with our grandmothers. It just cannot work! So, we really have to move into the future. Hon. Speaker, it has been shown clearly that with affirmative action, women have really proved themselves. Many women in this House first came in as nominated Members, but have gone on to prove that they are extremely capable. Some have confessed that they were so afraid to contest because they thought they would not manage. However, with support, they managed. Some may say: why do we not let the women fight it out? The truth is that there are challenges that face women that are peculiar to their gender. Look at the cultural aspects. Even with regard to property ownership, despite the existence of the new Constitution, women are still disadvantaged. I have come to learn – I did not know and I have just been taught by our learned colleagues – that even in issues of succession, when a woman inherits property from her husband it is just for the time of her life. When she dies, the property reverts to the estate. These are issues 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."
}