PROVIDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND UNLOCKING POTENTIAL FOR
DEVELOPMENT
“Marginalization of and denial of many human rights to women is an
injustice to more than half of humanity. There can be no peace and progress in
such a world.”
-
Tom Odhiambo, Lecturer , University of Nairobi
For any country to achieve social, political and economic
development, it must include each and every demographic section within itself.
Often, marginalized constituencies find themselves on the peripheries of such
progress in the affairs of their societies. Women are one such a group. They
have been sidelined for far too long.
In this essay, I shall focus on promoting gender equality and women
empowerment which is the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Number Three (MDG3).
I will highlight the success stories in gender issues and the challenges facing
gender equality.
World over, gender is socially constructed. It is neither
biological nor natural. We are taught roles and responsibilities then examined
against a gender marking scheme.
Particularly in Kenya, patriarchy has crippled gender equality.
When parents have limited finances, they prioritize boy child education and let
the girl child to drop out of school and take care of the entire family. She
will be subjected to endless household errands like washing dishes, cooking and
fetching water on her tender back. All this time her brother continues to
study, play and relax-shaping his destiny at the expense of that of the sister
whose future is uncertain and bleak. The result is high levels of illiteracy
and dependency among the girls and women on men. The latter become educated,
secure better jobs and return to repress and oppress women.
A girl who drops out of
school is condemned to a dark future without any promise to look forward to.
Fate conspires to have her married off early, sink deep into grinding poverty,
effectively consigning her quality of life to go south. Do we want girls to
have bright future? Why then do we give boys undue advantage over girls? Why do
we tilt the playing ground for the boys at the expense of girls?
The society is very unforgiving to women and girls. It does not
listen to them. It is a harsh and an unfair judge. It curses them like a sailor
and condemns them like a demon. How else would you explain the name-calling and
utter disrespect of female political aspirants? Not that they did not have
education or their male rivals had better manifestos. Is it such a bulky
baggage being a woman? Simply because she is a woman she will not sit with men
in the high table to discuss and decide on matters politics. She cannot flex
the financial muscle and pull a gubernatorial or a senatorial first. We have
set her standards so low. We should not reserve and restrict ladies to the
seats of mere MPs or Women Reps.
The straw that broke the camel’s back is the failure of women to
use their own numbers to effect the changes they desire. They abandon one of
their own. Mrs. Charity Ngilu tested the murky waters of presidential race for
them in 1997. They gave her a wide berth like she had leprosy. In 2013, Ms
Martha Karua ran an issue-based campaign. She portrayed herself as a
no-nonsense iron lady, tough and serious. She was an embodiment of rule of law
and a sure remedy for slaying the dragon of corruption and impunity. What happened?
Did we just forget her too soon? Despite the sobriety and solemn silence of the
ballot booth we were apathetic and gave her a cold shoulder.
Women have been ignored. They work as twice as hard as men in order
to be recognized. This should not be so. They are sidelined at the resource
allocation and distribution stages. Explain to me like a two year old since I
wonder why she should not be entitled to inherit her family estate as her
brother would. Tell me why when her husband dies she should be “ritual
cleansed” by a brother -in -law. Then the shameless in-laws move in swiftly to
scavenge whatever is left. These vultures peck the wife and the children
completely ignoring the will of the deceased husband. I suppose he turns in his
grave upon ‘seeing’ his wife’s property being grabbed and his children being
turned to beggars by his very own relatives.
The best way to ensure gender equality and empowerment is to
implement our new constitution faithfully to the letter and spirit. This most
progressive constitution should make a positive difference after its
promulgation. Gender equality articles 10(2) b, 27 (b), 56, 81(b), 100 (a), 97
and 98 should be implemented fully. Let us not just have an empty rhetoric of
two-thirds gender principle. Rather, we should staff public offices-whether
elective or appointive- with not more than two-thirds majority of either
gender. We cannot afford to leave behind more than half of the population and
purport to achieve any political, social or economic development.
Article 81(b)
“The electoral system shall comply with the following principles-
not more than two thirds of the members of elective public bodies shall be of
the same gender.” – Constitution of Kenya
If Liberia gave us Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Malawi offered Ms.
Joyce Banda, then Kenya can do better. If South Africa put forward Nkosazana
Dlamini-Zuma as the African Union Commission Chairperson surely we can pull a
female first too. I am persuaded that there are many Martha
Karuas, much more Wangari Maathais and even more highly potential and ready to
serve Mekatilili wa Menzas looking for a chance to show their mettle. Unlocking
the potential of girls and women will propel Kenya where it dreams to be: first
world.
The Kenyan girl has endured too much of rape, female genital
mutilation, early and forced marriage, abject poverty and not forgetting
illiteracy. She needs to be wiped tears off her beautiful face. Who will make
her smile?
Each of us has a noble responsibility to put a beaming smile on the
face of the African lady. Appreciate her. Care for her. Treat her with respect
and restore her dignity. Love her. That is not too much to ask.
I dare say girls and women do not need anyone’s favour. They are up
to the task. All they need is equal chances as men. In this regard I salute the
government for availing Women Enterprise Fund. I just hope that the Uwezo Fund
rolled out to empower the women, youths and the disabled will truly give them
uwezo (ability). I desire to see female entrepreneurial youth supplying the
government with lucrative contracts and creating jobs for themselves and
others. The 30 per cent allocation of procurement services to this constituency
is a major plus to emancipation of the neglected and vulnerable.
When we have put in place the best policies we can conceive, let’s
turn to the cradle of gender inequality which is the mind. When one is
diagnosed with cancer the malignant cells are isolated and powerfully radiated.
Our brains have gender cancer. Yes! You read it right. We have a deadly tumour
of rigid mindsets and attitudes which need to be shifted. Civic education will
demystify that gender issues are not exclusively women issues but our
issues-all of us as a society; men and women, boys and girls. Proper debunking
of gender myths and stereotypes will make us get rid of retrogressive cultural
practices which have held back our girls and women from being part of our
nation’s development. Men are not superior to women. They are equal. Feminist
movements have set the tone that no one will give women their rights on silver
platter. Instead, they should fight for them. I can’t help but join the fight
for gender equality and empowerment of women. Will you? I hope so!
“Over time, I have become aware that as a woman, no one will
improve you, head hunt you or ask you to join in. You have to take all the
initiatives and demonstrate your value. There is no silver platter for women.
Be stubborn, know what you want and do not give up.”
-Asa
Torkelsson, Senior Gender Specialist at the World Bank- Kenya.
The writer studies Bachelor of Arts degree in
Communication and Media at Chuka University. He blogs at musyokangui.blogspot.com
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