Politically and Powerfully Participating in Elections

The Solidarity for African Women’s Rights, together with the Coalition on Violence Against Women, Kenya, organized a public forum in Nairobi titled: Politically and Powerfully Participating in Elections: Women’s Strategies for change in Kenya, South Africa and Liberia. The event attracted participants from civil society, women and human rights activists from eight countries in Africa, including South Africa and Liberia, and members of the public.

The main speakers at the event were: Delphine Serumaga, Executive Director for People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA), South Africa, Una Kumba Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Women of Liberia Peace Network (WOLPNET), Liberia and Jane Onyango, Executive Director, Federation of International Women Lawyers, (FIDA), Kenya. Faiza Jama Mohammed, Regional Director, Equality Now, moderated the session.

In her welcoming remarks, Faith Kasiva, the Coordinator for the Coalition of Violence Against Women (COVAW), noted that this public forum comes at an opportune time in Kenya as the elections near and would be an appropriate time for Kenyan women to focus on increased participation in the upcoming elections and decision-making in Kenya. This public forum also came in the wake of a defeated constitutional amendment bill that proposed 50 special seats for women in parliament. Kenya has also not ratified the protocol to the African charter of Human and people’s rights on the rights of women. It also lags behind in East Africa in terms of women representation in parliament with only 18 out of the 222 seats occupied by women. Four months into the general election, Kenya still does not have any specific legislation advancing women’s political representation and participation in decision-making. This forum would therefore provide a forum for Kenyan citizens not only to hear rich experiences from women in South Africa and Liberia, which are leading in the inclusion of women in decision-making, but also to engage the leadership on the various gaps facing Kenya in this area, she said. It would also be an opportunity for the SOAWR campaigners to engage the public in Kenya in the process of ratification and domestication of the protocol.

Commenting on the South African experience, Delphine Serumaga noted that the increased participation by women in decision-making during apartheid forced the government to take the decision on proportional representation. This was because during the time of change in South Africa, women decided that they wanted to be part of the process of transition and decision making in South Africa. Other legislation also opened the door for women to respond to their needs and space in society. For instance, the South African Office of the status of Women provided an avenue for women to express their concerns and be in the limelight in their national affairs.

It was observed that women in South Africa are more aware of their rights partly because of the struggle against apartheid where women played an equal role as men. However this begs the question of whether the women in politics in South Africa are there as politicians or as women fighting for women’s needs. It was suggested that women are more loyal to party needs than working to change the system from patriarchy. However, she suggested that when people move into government they forget that there is a women’s struggle. Patriarchy is therefore still dominant within the political realm. However, South Africa is unique from other countries in Africa because it has moved from one dispensation to the next, thereby creating more space for women make decisions. South Africa has realized the need to groom grassroots women get into politics and to ensure effective representation by women in power.

Sharing on the Liberia experience, Una Thompson, noted that the role of women in the election of the 1st female president in Africa began during the turbulence of the war. During this time, women recognised the need to stand up and take their country back. Masses of women came together with a common cause, in the face of guns and oppression during the war. This was an awakening period for them, they had been left out of the peace process, and therefore they decided to move from the agony of women to the process of change. With the help on NGOs and other partners both locally and internationally, they started the process of sensitizing women and encouraging them to

participate in the election process. This was through lobbying and workshops and other forums encouraging and empowering women on their rights and responsibility in the elections that would probably change the face of Liberia. Despite the strong party alliances in Liberia, there was national solidarity and more specifically women solidarity and responsibility with an increased percentage of women voting which led to the election of the 1st woman candidate, who is now the president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. In Liberia, just like South Africa, the struggle during the war changed the lives of people and women especially with an increased urge to make a difference. Women were able to rally around common interests and form alliances for change.

Speaking on Kenya, Jane Onyango, noted that there have been seven elections since independence and in all these, women’s participation has been dismal. The current parliament has 18 women, which is the highest number ever. Kenya is surrounded by countries, which are all ahead in terms of women in politics and decision-making. Kenya has struggled with the affirmative action bill since the early 1990s after the Beijing Women’s conference. The affirmative action bill was shot down in parliament, then came the constitutional amendment bill that proposed 50 special seats for women in parliament and was recently shot down by a male dominated parliament. The bill received opposition from both sides of the house. This leaves the country with no law on affirmative action.

On the other hand, the quality of the women in parliament has been questioned over time. It has been noted that most of the women appointed to decision-making positions or nominated to parliament are more due to tokenism rather than on merit, which is a big challenge to the quality of women in power. Recently, there was a roadside presidential declaration that 30% of government appointments be women, but still this is not being practiced and has not been felt among the women folks. Kenya has ratified CEDAW but has not ratified the protocol to the African charter of Human and people’s rights on the rights of women. Therefore there is need to work more and galvanize women support to ensure increased women participation in politics ad decision-making.

During the plenary discussions, several participants observed that the Kenyan context is fundamentally different from that of South Africa and Liberia. Despite this, a few lessons could be borrowed by Kenya. The experience of war in Liberia and the struggle against apartheid in South Africa provided the public and civil society organizations opportunity and space during the transition to actively indulge in politics and decision-making. However, there has been a return to patriarchy in both countries the question is, how do we maintain what we have achieved? The spaces in which women operate are also highly patriarchal. It was suggested that there is need to spend more energy to improve the situation in parliaments to be more inclusive and participatory. Women activists also need to work towards liberating women at a personal level so as to improve the quality of women representatives. In addition, women also need financial support when going into politics. Liberia was also cautioned to capture the moment and ensure that all that has been promised is consolidated while the political situation in Liberia lasts to ensure the victory of women in decision making in Liberia lasts.

In conclusion, it was evident during the discussions that there is a gap in the Kenyan context, because of lack of a women’ s political movement. The ‘Maendeleo ya Wanawake’ and other existing women’s political caucuses have failed to nurture younger women who can keep the women’s agenda afloat. A strong women’s movement in Kenya would guide and feed women’s issues in politics and development in Kenya. It was evident that party politics and ethnicity block women’s rights in Kenya. Kenyan’s were urged to inject into politics new and progressive perspectives such as the women’s rights agenda. The forum also concluded that economic space is wider than the legal space. Poverty and dependency is increasingly keeping women down the economic ladder, particularly in rural areas where women depend on handouts during elections thus voting for the wrong candidates. Women should be empowered economically and made aware of their rights and responsibilities in elections.

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