Edgar Lumbasio, Christian Partners Development Agency

On the role of CPDA in supporting women leadership

So far we have carried out trainings for aspirants and also trained our sensitizers. Our main objective was to support constitutional and legal policy and institutional reform for gender equality, non discrimination and equal participation of women. With regard to this we have been able to identify and have forums with political party leaders on the ground.

Feedback from the grassroots

The feedback from our gender programmes is that men are saying yes, “We have no problem in having women as leaders. But let not women sit there and expect us just to let them lead us; they should participate and take up competitive roles just the way men do. They should vie and campaign as aggressive as the men. We have no problem if they sell their ideas and if we find them appropriate we will give them the chance.”

In our efforts to sensitize the community on gender equality there is the acceptance that women can lead and men are willing to support. It is just that we have to get out there in the field and fight it out.

We still have to reach comunities that still believe women cannot be leaders. Women and children are often classified together. I do not see how you can get your votes from that community if you are a woman. Pastoral communities often don’t recognize women as leaders.

I have participated in circumcision ceremonies in Samburu and inequalities can be seen in how they divide their slaughter. When they slaughter a cow, men take the best parts of the cow and they give the women the matumbos (intestines) and the lungs. The funny thing is that women go home very happy contented while the men are left roasting their ribs and other prime cuts. I would say that we are not ready yet probably in the next 5 years. Some work has to be done towards sensitizing these communities because that mindset is still there that women are not leaders.