KIRUKU: More women should take up active leadership roles

By Anne Kiruku, East African News Agency

The report by the EAC Elections Observation Mission to the General Elections in Tanzania that the representation of women, the youth and marginalised groups in the 2015 General Election was noteworthy, emphasizes a fact that we already know but are unwilling to change.

The report – presented last week by the head of the EAC Observer Mission and Kenya’s former Vice President Moody Awori to EAC Secretary General Dr. Richard Sezibera – says that women representation was disproportionate considering that they constitute 53 per cent of the total population in Tanzania.

It is inappropriate and unacceptable that 52 years after independence and with all the talk of women empowerment and gender equality, only 19 per cent of candidates for National Assembly seats were women. The situation was even worse for local government elections, where only 679 contestants out of the 10,879 candidates were women; this translates to only 6 per cent.

This scenario should not be tolerated if the region really wants to share a platform with global giants in matters of economic growth and development. No meaningful development can be attained when more than half of a country’s population are turned into hopeless observers, mere spectators and fence-seaters in their own country.

The region must bring women to the core of its decision making circles. This can only be attained if we make it easy for women to vie for political seats by removing all hurdles that hinder them.

It is sad that to date, cultural setups and male patriarchy have worked in tandem to ensure that women political aspirants will never reach the pinnacle of their careers.

As Uganda prepares to go to the polls this year and Kenya begins warming up for next year’s General Elections, it will be prudent for every political party to come up with laws and regulations that will make it easy for women to vie for elective seats.

Illiteracy levels among women across the region – due to such obvious reasons as retrogressive cultural practices and discrimination – is a major challenge that makes them shy away from politics. We must work towards promoting mentorship and confidence-building among women, raising knowledge and levels of awareness on potential opportunities in leadership and decision making.

It is the duty of governments, with the help of civil society organisations, to carry out civic education among women, the youth and marginalised groups.

Political parties must stop the rampant intimidation of women candidates during campaigns. Some male candidates label their female opponents as prostitutes, divorcees and other unsavory terms, the implication being that they are not fit to hold elective office. This discourages women from pursuing elective politics.

Most women are eliminated at preliminary stages of party nominations due to lack of funds. Party power-brokers usually decide who should be the party’s flag bearer, mostly to the detriment of women candidates.  

Retrogressive cultural practices and beliefs that confine women to the kitchen and give power to husbands to prevent their wives from pursuing elective seats should be also be stopped. The media, CSOs and religious organisations can come in handy and educate the society on the importance of having equal representation for all in the governance of our countries.

It is unfortunate that male supremacist and chauvinistic ideas have led to the rejection of women for leadership positions across the region. Women have been considered incapable, their ideas treated as inferior to those of men, and their contributions ignored.

But gender stereotyping cannot be allowed to continue. It is now the solemn duty of women political aspirant to ensure they lead in changing this situation. Various interest groups and women’s caucuses must work together to influence political parties and the electoral culture in our countries. All women leaders must keep a watchful eye and utilize all political situations to the possible advantage of women.

For women to become active and effective voices within their individual parties and in the society as a whole, we must change our institutional structures to reflect current trends and thinking, thus bringing women into the centre of all socio-political and economic activities.