When women Vote, Leaders Listen

We have witnessed in the past few days, what we would call the highest level of political prostitution and infidelity by our politicians. In a quest to beat the coalition deadline, Politicians have been running like headless chicken trying to make sure they are at least ‘somewhere’.

 Many of us have been shocked by the outcome, although we had heard and seen it all before; those who think they are reformers saying they would never work with non-reformers and those who were once greatest foes and vowed never to work together finally forming  alliances. Who would have ever thought, for example, that Mama Rainbow would have ended up joining forces with a man whose hand she has refused to shake on several occasions or that?

This was a clear indication that very few leaders, if there are any, have the interests of Kenyans at heart; they are all doing it to satisfy their own selfish interests.

Over the years, Kenya has been governed by men, and we haven’t had any single woman holding a top seat or one that involves making important decisions amongst which affect women. We were however lucky to have had Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza occupy the second most important seat in the Judiciary, but as fate would have it, she left barely before having settled.

The problems that Kenya is facing today affect, on a larger scale, women and children. Yet it is the same women whose rights are consistently abused who shoulder an overwhelming amount of responsibilities .It is women who do most of agricultural work, produce and market food. Only a small percentage of women work in the formal sector and earn a formal wage. A huge percentage works in the informal sector, yet they run their households all by themselves. In Education, there is a wide gap between men and women who are educated, therefore increasing their reliance on men. Women have a limited right to own, acquire and control property, and bear the blunt of the society if they try to assert their rights.

Quality Education has been playing a vital role in inspiring the girl child, and it is starting to bear fruits since women are starting to take the leadership role seriously.

Generally, most women are inspired by close women in their lives; mothers, aunties, sisters, etc. and not by men. They get inspired by the virtues and principles that these women uphold, such as hard work, determination and dedication.

We also have powerful Kenyan women who inspire; the Late Wangari Maathai (God bless her soul) was a purpose-driven woman whose relentless determination to protect the environment moved the whole world, earning her a Noble Prize. Martha Karua, a Presidential candidate in the upcoming elections, is a source of inspiration through her hard work, principles, consistency, boldness, courage and her performance in the political arena. Other women we can draw inspiration from include Charity Ngilu, Orie Rogo Manduli, Lady Justice Njoki Ndung’u,Bishop Margaret Wanjiru,Rachael Shebesh,Milly Adhiambo and the list goes on.

But then the question begs, with such evolution of women and with great women role models, why haven’t Kenyan’s leadership been given to a woman? Why the low presentation of women in parliament, even with the two- thirds rule being enshrined in the new constitution to make sure that no same gender should occupy all of the elective and appointive seats?

Today,women make 49 per cent of the Kenyan voter, which could be way above seven million. Is it that when it comes to elective posts women shy away or that those contesting are not convincing enough to get their fellow women votes? What does it take for female candidates to please the female electorate?

 We had Kingwa Kimencu seek to vie for presidency, but during her first interview, she dropped guard and let go of her emotions. Women did not like this. She was therefore judged harshly for exposing ‘emotions’. Real women don’t cry.

 Martha Karua is well known for playing tough in politics, earning her the title ‘Iron Woman of Kenya’, and once while in PNU referred to as the ‘only man in PNU’.Unlike Kingwa,she uses a non-feminine, emotionless approach, but still advocates for children and women rights with great passion.

Could it be that women are truly their own worst enemies that they can never trust, respect or like a fellow woman? Or could it be out of envy that we are afraid to have another women get more attention than ourselves? Could it be out of envy that the female politicians are /will get popular than ourselves? Or we fear women who ‘differ’ from us, be it in terms of opinion, looks or the way we act or think?Or,could it be that we are having the wrong women contest for the right posts?If so,what kind of women leaders do we want,and are they there?

I am challenging the entire female electorate in Kenya; we have numbers, the right and will to give this country’s leadership to women since men have failed us.Yes.We know that a woman President can perform better than a male President; Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian president since 2005 has been fostering development in Liberia and President Joyce Banda (who at the age of 25 was living in Nairobi, Kenya) is transforming the economy of Malawi.

There is a famous vote, ‘When Women Vote, Leaders Listen’. Women need to vote now than ever, and vote for change, for future generations, the children of our children and for our rights, we MUST vote. This can only be achieved by voting more women leaders.