Kenyan executive still stagnant on women numbers

With a new government in place after August elections and reinstatement of the president’s win by the Supreme Court of Kenya, a new cabinet is on its way.  The president presented a list of 26 individuals as nominees for posts of cabinet secretaries, attorney general and advisors on various issues.  Of these: 1 is an attorney general, 22 are full cabinet secretaries, 2 advisors (1 on national security and the other on women rights) and one secretary to the cabinet.

Out of the total 26, women are 10 but only 7 are full cabinet secretaries compared to 15 men.  The secretary to the cabinet and the 2 advisors, however, are all women.

As much as there is a plus especially having an advisor on women rights sitting in the cabinet, the number of full cabinet secretaries remains exactly the same from the immediate former government.

There seems to be a game of numbers to just make sure that none of the gender crosses more than the 2/3 majority.  However, the number of women are still very low and most of them are placed in seemingly ‘weaker’ or ‘smaller’ ministries compared to their male counterparts, and a far cry from the 50% promise during campaigns.

It is interesting to see how this new government will handle matters gender and women equality basing on their campaign and manifesto premises, signing of a women’s charter through a delegate conference as well as basing their economic model on the ordinary market woman popular as Mama Mboga.

Appointment and elections/ nominations of women in decision making capacities are important but how it impacts on overall welfare of womenfolk in a society is yet to be clear.  Partcipation of ordinary people in governance issues remains unclear too especially in developing and least developed economies.  Policies touching on women often take a backburner in legislative and executive orders in most cases.

As the new government takes charge in Kenya, citizens and especially women are hopeful that things will change, of course for the better.  Our blog will keep close tabs of the government actions and policies touching on the welfare of women and girls.

UDA/Kenya Kwanza (ruling party/coalition) manifesto points on women empowerment and gender equality

• Provide financial and capacity building support for women through the Hustler     Fund for women-led co-operative societies,chamas, merry-go-rounds and table   banking initiatives and protect them from predatory interest rates charged by   unscrupulous money lenders;
• Implement the two-thirds gender rule in elective and appointive positions in the
public sector within 12 months after the elections including 50 per cent cabinet      positions for women;
• Increase the number of, and personnel at,gender desks at police stations;
• Increase funding for the Anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Board and fully      implement the anti-FGM law;
• Establish a social welfare fund for Kenyan women working abroad to provide a     safety net for distressed diaspora citizens;
• Ensure deployment of adequate numbers of skilled community health workers     on a regular stipend paid through a cost-sharing framework between the National Government and county governments;
• Ensure availability of clean, safe, environmentally-friendly and affordable     cooking fuels;
• Provide free sanitary towels in all schools and public washrooms;
• Take administrative measures to ensure 100per cent enforcement of the spousal consent legal provisions in land transactions to cushion women and children from disposession of family land